


When Two Worlds Collide

by KPRS4ever



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:00:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 38
Words: 184,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29788863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KPRS4ever/pseuds/KPRS4ever
Summary: Earth and Mewni have now merged into one; all because of a rebel mewman princess and human safe-kid's love for one another (and magic, of course)! Now that they live in...well, sort of a brand new world, Star and Marco have many new adventures in store! However, one question remains. Are they ready for what is coming their way?
Relationships: Star Butterfly/Marco Diaz, Tom Lucitor/Janna Ordonia
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. What Just Happened?

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**  
Chapter 1- What Just Happened?**

"Hey."Marco said to Star.

"Hi." Star said right back to him.

They continued to look into each other's eyes, even though the world around them was entirely different. City buildings stood tall while castle spires towered high right next to them. Humans...well...actually ran through the streets terrified while monsters and mewmans wondered what in the world is wrong with these people. The sky was no longer its normal color, but filled with bright, colorful shades of purples, blues, and pinks with shimmers soaring across the horizon. In the sky was not just one moon, but three bright spheres gleaming white.

Earth and Mewni were combined. Who would've thought that would happen? Guess there was a little bit of magic left to bring not just Star and Marco together, but both their worlds. Star and Marco gave a small little smile to one another. Marco stepped closer to Star and embraced her, crying happy tears. Star took her arms and wrapped them around Marco's neck, tearing up a bit too and holding him tight.

Marco took in the scent of Star's golden hair as Star felt the soft threads of Marco's red sweatshirt. They took into account how they would even have been able to survive without one another; for Star not to hear Marco say how she's the coolest girl she knows or for Marco to never again see Star's excited face. They dreaded the thought. The more they kept their minds on it, the tighter they grabbed each other. They didn't even care what was going on around them. It was just the two of them at this very moment. Marco snuggled his face into Star's shoulder. Star sighed, loving the feeling of Marco's touch. before finally saying something.

"Did...did that just happen?" Marco asked Star as well as himself. Never in his wildest imagination did he think this would happen. It was a lot to comprehend. Heck, he's traveled across dimensions and this was still a bit to process.

"Yeah, I think it did." Star said to him.

"Did we just combine Earth and Mew-" Marco added.

"Yup." Star said with an even bigger smile.

"But...how di-" Marco kept talking. Star interrupted him by putting a finger to his lips.

"I don't know and frankly I don't even care." Star put her one arm back around Marco. "...because I have never been so happy about anything...ever." Star and Marco pulled apart just a bit to look at each other again. "Even if it's been about an hour...I missed you." Star said as she stared into Marco's chocolate brown eyes.

"I missed you too." Marco said, gazing right back at her.

"Oh, you got a bit of-" Marco took a free hand and wiped a tear off her cheek. "-tear right here." He chuckled.

"Oh, thank you." Star giggled. Marco stopped midway, noticing something's a bit different about Star. "Um...Star?"

"What?"

"Your...your cheeks!"

"Huh? Ohhhh yeah. My cheeks. The hearts went away with the magic. Weird." Star said to him as she touched her left cheek. Marco took his hand and stroked her right cheek. Seeing Star without her hearts was definitely new. He wondered if Star was okay, being that those hearts were a part of her ever since she was born. It's almost like losing birthmarks. It would be like Marco losing his mole!

"Well, are you…feeling okay?" Marco asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright. They were just hearts on my cheeks. No big deal. Now I'm...I'm like everyone else. I'm going to be honest though. It feels good...you know...to fit in." Star said. Seeing Star happy is one of the top things that brings Marco joy. He knew she was stressed. Now that she feels like a weight has been lifted off of her, life will be a lot easier. It's what Marco has wanted for her for a long time.

"Well, I think you still look great, even without the hearts." Marco said.

"Aww, Marco." Star said, blushing.

"You know, you kind of look like a human now." Marco said to her. Star gasped, jumping out of Marco's arms.

"MARCO!" Star exclaimed.

"AH! WHAT DID I DO?!" Marco said in fear, covering his face.

"No, no, no listen! Remember how you said that the first Mewmans could have actually been humans?!" Star asked him. Marco gasped.

"Wait...you were listening to me back at Britta's Tacos?!" Marco said.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up, shut up. Now that my cheek marks are gone and now that I technically live on Earth…" Star began to tell him. Marco gave her a soft smile as he crossed his arms.

"I have a feeling I know where you're going with this."

"I could be classified as a human now, couldn't I!?" Star asked in excitement. Marco chuckled.

"Well, I thought since Earth and Mewni are now one, it would be a mixture of human and mewman...like mewhuman or humewmen or-"

"Or we could just change the M to an H in mewman!" Star told him.

"But that would be hewman...it sounds just like human though...the H.U.M.A.N human….not the H.E.W….you know." Marco chuckled.

"Fine, mewhuman then. I'm a mewhuman. That's so cool! Without my magic, I can live like a human now! I can actually cook food instead of using my magic to make it! I can sew my own clothes together!" Star gasped. An excited look showed brightly on her face. "I...can learn...to drive…a car!" Star said, excited. Marco gazed at her flawless skin and periwinkle blue eyes. He took his hand and stroked her cheek again.

"I just...can't believe you're here...with me." Marco sniffled. Star took her hand and gently took his.

"Ditto." Star said. Marco placed his other hand around her, lifting her up slightly. He took her torso and gently pulled her towards him, bringing her into a kiss. This kiss was more passionate than the one in the pig goat barn. Star took her hands and cupped Marco's face, bringing him even closer and deeper into the kiss. They became completely unaware of what was around them. As Star wanted, it was just her and Marco. After a minute, they slowly pulled apart.

"You smell like pudding." Star said to him with a small chuckle.

"So do you." Marco replied, gently putting Star down. They both laughed really hard before realizing something very important.

"Uh...Marco…"

"What?" Marco asked.

"Where is everybody else?" Star asked. Marco gasped, looking around. He let go of Star.

"Oh, no…oh no no no no no no..." Marco began to freak out. "Where are my parents? And Mariposa?! We need to find them Star! They could be in trouble!" He starting holding his head in a full-fledged attack.

"Hey, hey, hey, no need to panic! I'm sure everyone's fine. We just need to look for them…" Star said. "Okay, I summon the all-seeing-"

"Star? You destroyed the magic, remember?" Marco reminded her.

"Ahhhh poop." Star replied, slouching. "That's something I'm definitely gonna have to get used to. Okay, new plan." She said as she clapped her hands together. "We use what's in our surroundings...our very, verrrrry new surroundings." Star and Marco began looking around.

"Uh huh...so where should we start...because uh…there's a LOT of places we can start. Not to mention, I have no idea where I was before."

"Yeah, neither did I. I just ran." Star said before she and Marco gazed at each other, smiling. They both just ran, worried about losing the person they love, not even caring where they are or where they were going. That made both of them feel loved to the core.

"Well, maybe we can-" Marco began to say before being interrupted by a loud voice coming from some type of intercom.

"Hello, humans and mewmans. This is the greatest talk show in the history of FOR. E. VER, coming to you live from...who in the world knows where because you know, Mewni combined with some other planet! It's the Ponyhead Show! Yo, where is my music at, huh?!" Ponyhead said loud and proud on the speakers. Suddenly clanging and muffling was heard. Ponyhead's voice grew a little distant. "Listen, I have an audience full of adoring fans who love me out there and I was expecting some fresh beats...wha?...What do you mean our music player broke?! You lying to me?! Okay, yeah, no, you're fired." Ponyhead's voice grew closer again.

"Okay, so I just fired my music producer so if any of you want to contact me with whatever you use to contact people, let me know because I need some music. Okay? We'll be back after this commercial break about me." The talk show stopped. A commercial began to play...with Ponyhead's voice. "So hey, you like my talk show? Well, you better because you need to give me some money to keep it going because this is the best talk show ever! There might not be any more magic but listen, you don't need magic in your lives now. You need me. Okay? Okay, byeeeee!"

Marco and Star stared blankly at each other, finding it hard to believe that Ponyhead isn't even phased. A man spoke from afar.

"First, monsters roaming the streets. Now, the head of a pony doing a talk show on the radio?! THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END! WHERE'S MY MOM?! MOM?!" Suddenly, all of the humans started running and screaming, terrified while the mewmans and monsters just stood there, acting as if all of this is completely normal

"You know, why am I not surprised? Earth and Mewni combine and then poof! The Ponyhead Show has a story." Star said to Marco.

"I know! And Ponyhead would change her live show to a talk show on the radio?! That's not a good business strategy, I tell ya!" Marco added. Star raised an eyebrow.

"...what now?" Star said, absolutely confused at what Marco was getting at.

"Oh, uh, nevermind. We need to find Ponyhead. If only we knew where to-" Marco was interrupted by Ponyhead's voice again.

"You can also find me at this little dojo place for autographs! I just figured out where I am but like not...where...I am. The autographs cost about one million of whatever currency you have for each letter, okay?" Ponyhead stopped talking. Marco shook his head in disappointment.

"Oh, poooooor sensei. Come on. We have to find the dojo. I have a feeling it's not going to be in the same place as it was before." Marco said as he and Star began to run.

"At least it should be nearby, right?" Star asked.

"I...have...no idea. Earth and Mewni collided. I don't really know where anything is now." Marco said to Star. Suddenly a voice came behind him.

"Maybe I can help."

Marco yelped, seeing Janna appear behind him. He jumped.

"JANNA! How did-" Marco scratched his head, completely confused. "You were on a gurney! How did the paramedics not see you leav-"

"Janna!" Star said as she attacked Janna with a big hug. "Oh, I never thought I would see you and your creepiness ever again." Janna hugged her back.

"Why thank you. I take pride in it." Janna said as she took a bow. "Woah, your hearts are gone...did you get plastic surgery or something because like, I've always wanted to see that." Marco blankly stared at her.

"How did you find us?" Marco asked her.

"Easy. I tracked you." Janna says as she took out a tracking device. Marco looked at it closely, revealing a little red dot. Marco moved a step to the right. So did the dot.

"Janna! Do you have me chipped or something?" Marco asked, looking all over his body for a little chip in his skin.

"You couldn't handle the truth if I told you." Janna replied. Marco's eyes grew wide. He frantically searched for a chip on his body as she and Star talked.

"So, Janna, we're trying to find our friends and family since Mewni and Earth combined. Now everything here is different. Marco probably doesn't even know where his house is now!" Star explained. Marco froze, tangled up in his hoodie with the hood almost completely covering his face.

"Wait, what?!" Marco said as he lost his balance, "AH!" He fell backward, still tangled up in red cloth.

"So Mewni and Earth combined into one world?...awesome." Janna replied.

"You're acting like this doesn't phase you at all." Marco added, detangling himself from his jacket.

"You're talking to someone who practices in dark arts." Janna stated.

"Good point." Marco replied.

"Anyway, can you help us? We already know where Ponyhead is. We just don't know where everything and everyone is because the world has changed. You must know something we don't." Star said. Janna looked around, making sure no one was watching her.

"Follow me." Janna told them. They followed Janna, who began to walk down a well-known Echo creek street.

Time went by until the trio made it to Janna's house.

"How did you find your house so quickly?!" Marco asked.

"The house is chipped." Janna said before pulling out her tracking device once again, revealing a little white house on the map.

"Why do I even ask?" Marco said to himself. They walked into the house to find her parents in the living room, sipping tea. Creepy thing was that they were wearing the same clothes and drinking the exact same tea as when they were. The house smelled like mint and a slight scent of lavender.

"Oh, hello children." Janna's father said.

"Hello, sweet pea." Her mother added.

"Hey. I'm going upstairs." Janna said as Star and Marco stared at them with a weirded out glare.

"Should I even-" Star asked Marco.

"Don't question it." Marco told her. The entered Janna's dark olive room, seeing all of her dark arts figurines. Marco stopped right in front of her giant eyeball pet that they all saw the other day.

"Uh...hi?" Marco said, hesitant. The eyeball blinked twice at him. He backed up a bit.

"Aww. He likes you." Janna told him. Marco didn't lose eye contact with the giant eyeball, mainly out of fear.

"How...do you know that?" Marco asked, a little scared.

"Focus, guys! Now, you said you can help us." Star said. Janna took a second to check her surroundings once more.

"Watch this." Janna told them as she took out her laptop and placed it on her bed. Marco and Star came next to her. On it lay a background of Marco in Mackie Hand boxers with a red cap on his head, singing into a hairbrush in his bedroom. Star's mouth gaped open before turning her head to Marco.

"Janna! How did you get this picture?!" Marco exclaimed. "It's the chip, isn't it! It's the chi-" Marco said as he searched his body again, falling to the floor a second after. "AH!" Star turned her head down to Marco, who was laying on the floor, having a bit of pain in his back. "Just...just...don't look at me. I have shame." Marco said as she took his hood, put it over his head, and tightened it with his sweatshirt strings. Star giggles quietly to herself.

"So cute." Star said to herself.

Janna began to type in a bunch of codes on her laptop as Marco got up, the hood still tightly on his head.. Little black boxes came up on the screen; tons of them in fact. A screen suddenly came up with the words W.W.G.O. Marco gasped, taking the hood off of his head.

"Wait, are you doing what I think you're doing?" Marco asked.

"If you mean hacking into the Worldwide Galactic Organization's space satellite to look up live video footage, then yes." Janna said to him.

"Woah, woah, when did you learn how to hack government computer systems!?" Marco asked, wondering how this all started.

"Oooo I love looking at space!" Star asked as Marco facepalmed.

"I'm just gonna be quiet." Marco said, muffled because of his hands on his mouth.

"Alright, so I'll bring up a live feed from W.W.G.O.'s cameras." Janna said as she typed on her keyboard, bringing up a live image of combined Earth and Mewni. The three of them gasped. They have never seen such a beautiful planet before. The colors of it were so vibrant. It was a whole new world to them and they couldn't wait to explore it some more.

"I...I can't believe what I'm looking at." Marco said, awestruck.

"Marco...we're the reason for this. Can you believe it? It's all because of our lo-." Star began to say love until she realized Janna was still in the room, although Marco knew exactly what she was going to say. Marco took her hand, so thankful for Star being there in his life instead of being separated by dimensions. To think, a simple feeling of love had the ability to combine two whole worlds. They were realizing that their love is more powerful than they thought.

"Okay, I'm gonna zoom into our location." Janna took her tracking device, took the coordinates from their current location, and put them into the computer system. The cameras zoomed into Janna's house. She zoomed out a bit to examine the area.

"So it looks like the buildings and landmarks were combined, just like the two worlds...sweet. Imagine the underworld and a voodoo store in one spot." Janna said.

"If my house is in the forest of uncertain death I'm gonna-" Marco said to himself.

"Hey, it's abandoned Butterfly Castle!" Star said, pointing to a certain spot on the feed.

"And...city buildings! And look how crowded it is! It's like Echo Creek has its own Time Square now." Marco added.

"So what place were you looking for exactly?" Janna asked them.

"The dojo at the Hill-Trank Plaza." Marco said.

"Okay. Let's see…" Janna started searching the map. "Ah, there it is." Janna told them as she zoomed into it.

"Ohhhhh it's combined with the monster temple! Look, each floor is one of the stores of the plaza! Janna, can you put the coordinates in your tracking devi-" Star asked.

"Done." Janna said, showing a blinking blue dot on her tracking device.

"Man, Janna. You are always a step ahead of the game!" Star said to her.

"Yeah, come to think of it, you always know what to do before any of us ask for something." Marco added.

"Well I should have told you that I can predict the future." Janna said. Marco and Star gasped. "Kidding!...kidding...but if I had a crystal ball I could...they're too expensive."

"What about knock offs of a crystal ball?" Marco asked her.

"Oh, please, amateurs use knock-offs. You're talking to a professional who got her soul severed from itself." Janna said.

"Oh yeah, forgot about that." Marco remembered.

"Well then, let's get on our way. I want to make sure everyone is safe and accounted for. You never know where someone could end up." Star said.

Marco's mom and dad woke up in what looked like a dark forest. There were nothing but trees around them and no building in sight. The scent of pine was super strong and the ground beneath them was filled with twigs and leaves. Rafael turns his body to Angie, who was still laying on the ground. Angie began to gain consciousness.

"Honey! Are you okay? How's our Mariposa?" Rafael asked, placing his hands on Angie's shoulders. She looked down to see a sleeping Mariposa in her papoose.

"She's fine, Rafael. Question is, where are we? And...what happened?" Angie asked him. They tried to look around, but couldn't see a thing. Rafael snapped his fingers with an idea. He grabbed a flashlight from his pocket.

"I knew I would need this someday." He said as he turned on the flashlight. They both stood up and Rafael waved it around, pointing at every area. There must have been trees for miles. A voice is suddenly heard in the distance. He suddenly turns his body to point his flashlight at it.

"Who are you?!" The figure asks.


	2. The Ponyhead Movie

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**  
Chapter 2- The Ponyhead Movie**

Star, Marco, and Janna made their way to the dojo, taking in all the sights that their new world had to offer. Thankfully it was nearby so they didn't have too long of a walk to take to get there. It was a bit surreal. Seeing castles next to skyscrapers was something entirely new. Plus, the smells; the scent of pizza, tacos...and pig goat manure are _not_ something that goes together.

Although the three of them were getting used to it all just fine, the humans around them were not taking it so well. Many of them were all running around in a panic. Many looked terrified because monsters were now roaming the streets. If only they understood that monsters are actually very nice. They haven't calmed down even a bit since Mewni and Earth collided. Star fell behind the group with a frown upon her face. Marco took notice of it and walked over to her right away.

"Star?" Marco said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Star turned her head to look at him.

"Oh, I'm fine…I mean...just seeing everyone scared of monsters again...it's just-" Star sighed. Marco knew how hard Star worked to get mewmans and monsters to get along back on Mewni. He could only imagine how frustrating it was for her to see it happen all over again.

"Hey, we fixed this before. I'm sure we can fix it again." Marco looked down at Star's hand. "We'll do it together just like we did before." Marco said as he took her hand. She smiled back at him.

"Thanks, Marco." Star replied as she rested her head on Marco's shoulder.

"So...why do we need to find Ponyhead so badly?" Marco asked.

"A living, floating, disembodied Ponyhead in a world with a ton of human beings who have never seen a monster before except for fake ones on TV? Think about it." Star said, trying to make a point.

"Right…" Marco replied.

"And if Ponyhead is at the dojo...monster temple...uh... _place_...then maybe everyone else is there too; Mom, Dad, Eclipsa, Tom. It might be a lot easier to find everyone than we think." Star said, optimistic.

"Yeah...except for my family. They were nowhere near the Monster Temple" Marco replied with a slight frown. Star saw the worry in Marco's eyes.

"Hey, we'll find them. I promise." Star told him. Marco nodded, smiling back. He kissed Star's head softly, making her blush. She kissed Marco back on his cheek as well. Marco blushed even more than Star did. It made him giggle a little too.

"So um...I have a question." Marco said to Star.

"Yeeessss?" Star said, curious.

"Have I ever introduced you to Italian food before?" Marco asked her. Star had to take a second to think.

"Italian? Uhhhhhh nope. Why?" Star wondered.

"Oh, uh...no reason." Marco replied before looking away, trying to act nonchalant. Star wondered what the heck that was about. She then got distracted by the sunlight hitting Marco's face. Marco turned his head, seeing Star mesmerized by him.

"Star?" Marco said.

"Hehehe...your face." Star replied as she zoned out. Marco raised an eyebrow.

"Huh? What? Do I have something on my face?!" Marco said, starting to panic. Star tried to calm him down by wrapping her arms around his.

"Don't worry about it. You're fine." Star said, resting her head on Marco's shoulder. Marco was confused. Was he fine? No matter. He liked how Star was holding his arm. It made him feel content. Marco reciprocated and placed his head on top of Star's. Janna turned slightly to look behind her as she walked ahead of them, smiling at the sight of them cuddling as they walked along.

"It's about time." Janna muttered under her breath.

"Eh, what was that?" Marco said, not paying full attention.

"Oh, uh...nothing. Carry on." Janna replied with a grin. Marco suddenly felt a sudden buzz in his pocket. Then, Space Unicorn started to play. Quickly, he pulled a ringing cell phone out of his pocket. He fumbled and lost his grip in excitement, juggling it from hand to hand and somehow preventing it from hitting the ground.

"You had your cell phone this whole time?!" Star asked him, absolutely shocked.

"I thought there would be no signal after what happened!" Marco cried, taking the phone in his hand. He gasped when he saw the caller ID. "It's my mom!"

"Answer it! Answer it!" Star yelled, taking Marco's arm and shaking it. Marco took the phone, tapped the answer call button and put it up to his ear.

"Mom?!" Marco said, eager to talk to them.

"Marco! Sweetie! You're okay! Thank goodness!" Angie exclaimed on the other end of the phone.

"Hi, son!" Rafael added.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine! Don't worry about me! How are you! How's Mariposa!?" Marco asked, keeping the phone close to his ear.

"She doing great! She's such a little trooper just like her big brother!" Angie told him. Marco smiled, relieved to know that his sister was unharmed. One of the last things he would want is for her baby sister to get hurt. "And yes we're doing great! We met a lovely friend in the woods who is helping us out-" Shzzzzzz! "-great per-" Shzzzzzz! "-made us fo-" Shzzzz!." Angie's voice suddenly disappeared into static.

"Wait...who'd you meet in the woods? I think you're losing signal." Marco asked quickly, now very concerned. Who in the world was with his family? "Mom!" He tried. "You're. Losing. The. Siiigggnnnallll." Marco repeated, trying to communicate with her as clearly as possible.

"Oh! Well don't wor-" Shzzzz! "-us! We're fine! Just take ca-" Shzzzz! "-rself. Love you so mu-" Shzzzzz!." Angie tried to say before the phone call ended with a beep.

"Mom? Mom!" Marco cried, trying to get a hold of her again. It was too late. "Well, at least I know they're okay...I guess...I'll just tell her to text me in case of an emergency." Marco said, sighing a bit as he began to tap his screen and send a message. Star could see that he was worried about them. She reached out and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Marco, it's okay. If they say they're fine, then you should trust them." Star smiled at him. Marco smiled back at her and nodded.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Marco pressed send on his phone. "Well, at least my cell phone's working! Positivity is key!" Marco said, looking at his phone in his hand.

"Dude, I could have told you that hours ago. I've been in contact with Tom this whole time." Janna added, casually taking out her cell phone and texting to demonstrate.

"Janna! You knew they worked the whole ti-...hold on." Star stopped both herself and Marco in their tracks, putting an arm in front of him, accidentally hitting Marco in the face.

"Ow!"

"Hold on, _you've_ been talking to Tom? Do you know where he is?" Star wondered.

"Yeah, he's safe at home in the underworld. He's fine." Janna replied, not even looking up as she kept texting him.

"Well, now we know where he is. That's one person off our list." Marco added

"Yeah, that's reassuring. Wait, wait, how long have you been talking to uh...to Tom?" Star asked, getting a little excited to hear the details.

"Oh, uh, ever since you went to that meeting with the Magical High Commission or whatever. I gave him one of my old cell phones because his mirror got destroyed by a giant crow. Then, I gave him my number. Now he hasn't stopped texting me since." Janna shrugged before she began texting again. Star made a cheeky grin.

"Uh huh...go on...please." Star told her as she had a gleaming smile on her face. Janna's had her usually 'no expression' face.

"...it's not like that." Janna told her, trying to appear casual. Star could tell that she was hiding something.

"Uh huh, uh huh...or is it?" Star snickered. Janna stayed silent.

"...I plead the fifth…" Janna said before turning around and continuing to walk. Star backed up, absolutely confused.

"Wait, what are you pleading to a fifth of? A fifth of a pizza? Or a fifth of a-" Star started, but Marco came behind her, taking his hands and putting them on Star's shoulders.

"Star?" Marco said. Star turned her head to him.

"I'm really confused. Like, what is that supposed to me-" Star kept on going.

"Star, I'll tell you later." Marco told her.

"But..."Star sighed, wanting to have an answer. "Fiiiinnee." She said as Marco put his arm around her, starting to walk again.

* * *

Some time passed before the three of them made it to the newly combined Monster Temple Plaza.

"Finally...we made it." Star gasped as the three of them stopped in front of it. They looked up to the top of it. "...You know, I forgot how tall it was."

"Weren't you just there a few hours ago?" Marco asked her.

"Yyyyyup." Star replied happily. "And look, my room's still here!"

"So where's the dojo?" Janna asked. Marco simply pointed to the top. The Dojo was sitting right at the peak of the mountain.

"Of course. Naturally." Star added, letting out a breath. "Alright, everybody, let's start climbing." Star said as she started taking the first steps.

"Uh, Star?" Marco said, trying to get her attention.

"Marco, I know you don't want to climb these hundreds of steps and that it already took a biiiiiit of a walk to get here but we don't have a choi-" Star replied until Marco cleared his throat, getting her attention. He pointed down and to the right. Right next to those very steps, was an escalator. Star's head drooped before she stretched her arms out towards the escalator.

"See, now why didn't Mewni have this? Why did Mewni have to be so old-fashioned?" Star grumbled as she lifted her head back up, heading over to the escalator. Marco and Janna followed. Marco fell in step next to Star as Janna walked in front of them, texting on her phone once again. Star got on her tiptoes, trying desperately to see if she was still texting Tom. Janna looked over her shoulder, having noticed Star's huge grin out of the corner of her eye.

"Hehehehehehe." Star giggled. Marco grabbed Star's shoulder and brought her back, flat on her feet.

"What are you doing…" Marco said, keeping a straight face.

"Aw, come on! I just really want to know what's going on with Janna and Tom." Star replied. "Look, after the break-up between him and I, I found someone to be with soon after." Star explained. Marco smiled. "I just want Tom to find that special someone in his life too." Star said as she glanced at Janna. "Everyone deserves a happily ever after, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but...I don't think pushing it on Janna is the way to do it, you know?" Marco said quietly to her. Star crossed her arms as some of her hair fell in her face. She blew it away from her eyes.

"Fine. You're right." Star agreed.

"I gotta say though…" Marco began to say as Star flicked yet more hair away from her face. "I do kind of ship them." Marco said with a wink. That made Star feel a bit better, knowing that they both thought the same thing.

As the three moved up the escalator, they could observe the many ways in which the Monster Temple had changed. It was surely a sight to behold. All of the rooms and halls in the temple have transformed into the kind of stores you might see in a mall. It made them appreciate a long escalator ride. Star took a close look at each and every one of the stores, keeping in mind which ones she might want to stop at now that she had the opportunity once again. Marco, however, was looking in the other direction.

"Hey...you should see this." Marco told her.

"Wait, what?" Star asked. Marco took her and gently spun her around.

Star gasped. "Wowwwwwww."

In front of them was a breathtaking view of their newly formed world. The sky was alive with many lovely shades of purples, pinks, and oranges as the sun went down. The three moons in the sky shone brightly, covering their town in a glistening glow, even though the sun was still visible.

"Look! There's my house!" Marco said as he pointed to it. "Nice to know its close by." He observed.

"There's Ponyhead castle, but that's easy to spot." Star added.

"Well...it _is_ in the sky so..." Marco chuckled.

"Actually I was going to say because the parties there are super loud and you can hear the music miles away, but that too." Star replied. They both chuckled before taking in the view once more.

"I have to say, this is...probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen." Star happily said. Marco turned his head to look at her.

"I've seen more beautiful." Marco said as he gazed at Star's golden hair shining in the sunset and the way her crystal blue eyes sparkled. Star quickly glanced back at Marco, who gave her a soft smile. Star blushed. She felt so lucky to have someone like Marco. She did the only logical thing and lightly booped his nose with her pointer finger.

"Marco, you sly dog." Star told him. "You know, I need to start documenting these moments. New world, new memories!." Star said as she took out her portable mirror phone, opened it, about to take a picture until she realized it was dead. She tried pressing some buttons, but nothing changed. "Aw, I forgot...magic powers this too."

"No worries. I got it." Marco said as he took out his cell phone and brought up his camera. He took a snapshot of the view before turning it around, taking a picture of the two of them. Star smiled at him. "I needed a new wallpaper anyway."

Marco chuckled. After elbowing him playfully, Star took a look at the phone and took a glance at the picture of the two of them.

"Awww, look at us." Star said. Marco watched as a lovely smile grew on her face. She scrolled through Marco's photos, seeing some photos, all the way back, finding some photos from when they had first met. "We've come a long way."

Star began to remember the first day she had met Marco. She remembered how Marco fought to keep her safe from Ludo's goons at the Stop N' Slurp. She remembered his face when he saw the Amethyst Arcade. She remembered when Marco made his Super Awesome Nachos for her to try for the first time. Marco saw her smile brighten even more. Seeing her with the phone gave him an idea.

"You know what? You need a cell phone." Marco told her.

"Wait, what?" Star said.

"Yeah. It's about time I help you adapt to a life without magic. You know, as humans live." Marco said as he shrugged. Star turned her head to look at Marco.

"Besides, you should take some photos of your own...you know...so we can document some new memories...together."

Marco smiled at her as Star smiled back at him. "We'll buy one here after we find Ponyhead. I should still have some money in my pocket." Marco said as he reached into his pockets.

"Oh, pfft, Marco you don't have to pay for my-" Star began as she reached into her own pockets. Nothing was in them. "Okay, nevermind, how much do you have?" Star asked.

"Uhhh…" Marco took out a stack of bills. "$650. I think I have just enough. Good thing St. Olga's is still in this world or else I'd be broke."

"Don't you get paid every month? Where does it all go?" Star asked.

"Well, first I-".

"Oh, we're here." Janna interrupted. The escalator came to an end, stopping right in front of the Dojo at the top of the mountain. There was a slight breeze pushing against them. They could feel the cold that came with being so high up. They walked closer to the door of the dojo, hearing clanging and crashing noises coming from inside. The trio stopped in their tracks.

"Ohhhh no." Marco grimaced.

"Pony, what did you do…" Star wondered as they ran quickly to the door. Janna tried opening it, but it was locked.

"We have a problem." Janna said, pulling the door over and over.

"Ugh, Ponyhead!" Marco growled as Star got in front of him.

"Stand back. I got this." Star crouched into the perfect kicking position.

"AAAAAHHHH!" Star yelled, kicking the door. The door flew open, revealing Sensei and Ponyhead sparring and Seahorse recording the fight with his camera. Star and the gang were extremely confused.

"Pony?" Star uttered.

"Sensei?" Marco said.

"B-fly!" Ponyhead exclaimed.

"Cape bro!" Sensei uttered.

"Greg!" Janna said, pulling a skeleton head out of her pocket.

"What the-" Marco wondered.

"I've been looking for this for ages. I'm trying to bring a skeleton back to life." Janna said with a snicker. Everyone in the room just stared blankly at Janna until Star broke the silence.

"Ponyhead, what is going on?" Star asked, scratching the top of her head. Ponyhead and Sensei calmed down and backed away from each other a bit.

"Oh, yeah, you're probably why this is happening, which is definitely what I would expect from anyone. Well, yeah, okay so I don't know if you heard that the Ponyhead Show is now a radio talk show because the magic mirrors went down." Ponyhead began to explain.

"Believe me. The whole town heard it." Marco said, crossing his arms.

"Well, that's how I wanted it to be alright. I want to become world famous, okay? Now I thought that the Ponyhead Show needed more. You know, like, some pizzazz. So after that giant flash of light and all that I end up here and I see this muscular hunk here-"

"Hey." Sensei interrupted.

"Yeah, so that's when I decided that the Ponyhead Show needs a kung fu movie…" Ponyhead told them with a smirk on her face. Star and Marco looked at each other with faces that clearly said, 'are you kidding me?' before Marco turned to Sensei and raises an eyebrow.

"Uh...I would...like to be famous." Sensei told him. Marco gave him an unamused look on his face. "She said she would pay me!"

Star facepalmed and walked over to Ponyhead. Janna stood by to Sensei.

"Dude, I have another way you can get some money." She said.

"What?" Sensei asked. Janna looked at her skeleton head, stroking it.

"Give me a piece of skin and hair and you'll get $650." Janna said to him. Marco quickly turned his head.

"Wait, I have $650!" Marco's brow furrowed.

"Exactly." Janna said with a wry smile as she held $650 in her hand.

"No...no, no, Janna!" Marco checked his pockets. Nothing was in them. "Did you steal my money?!" Marco said, walking over to her and Sensei. Star and Ponyhead were chatting in another area of the room.

"We're so glad to know you're okay." Star said to her.

"I'm just glad to see my best friend!" Ponyhead exclaimed. Marco turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, and Earthturd, yeah." Ponyhead added as Star grabbed her in a hug. It only lasted for a second or two. "Okay, B-fly, level with me. What happened? You know, with the giant light and two worlds all together now?" She asked her.

"It's a long story, I-" Star said, interrupted by a door opening opposite of the one they had come through. A woman emerged. She had silver hair and wore a blue dress.

"Star!" Moon stepped through the door.

"Mom! You're here!" Star cried as she ran to her mother, embracing her in a loving hug. "Where's dad? And Eclipsa and...and Globgor and...Meteora?"

"Oh, you know your father. He's out exploring...getting a lay of the land now that the world's changed. As for everyone else, well, I'm not quite sure. We'll find them though. I promise." Moon said as she stroked Star's head. "Oh, sweetie! I'm so glad you're alright." Moon said to her.

Marco walked up behind Star just as moon Moon lifted her head. She let go of her daughter, startled. "Marco! But...how…"

"Star and I ran towards a portal in the sky and...well…" Marco proceeded to make a boom sound effect with his mouth. "Now Earth and Mewni are together." Marco explained before taking Star's hand. "Just like how we belong together." Marco said with a smile.

Moon was so joyous to see her daughter so happy. She knew that Marco means the world to her. She felt so good inside. Sure, magic was gone and her world has changed entirely. What was most important to her though, was family. Knowing that she took them both and embraced them.

"I'm so happy for the both of you." Moon said as she wiped away a tear. "You two have my blessing for sure." She added very quietly.

Star's eyes bugged out.

"Wait what…" Star asked. Marco wasn't paying attention.

"Um...nothing! Nothing at all, my love!" Moon said as she gave Star and Marco a tight squeeze. They all let go of one another.

"Oh! Mom-Mom-Mom! Have you looked at my room yet?" Star asked as she pulled away, eager to go and see it.

"I went by the door to it but I didn't look inside. Oh, Star! Did you see the moving steps?" Moon asked her, pointing towards the outdoors.

"Moving ste-...Oh! Mom, that's an escalator." Star told her.

"Really? We should have had those in Mewni." Moon shrugged.

"...that's what I said!" Star chuckled as Marco walked over to Ponyhead to give Star and her mother some time to get reacquainted.

"So, Earthturd…" Ponyhead said as she applied lip balm. "What was that?" Ponyhead nudged him.

"Wha?" Marco asked.

"Hello! I'm not blind. You were holding Star's hand. Are you two a thing now? Please tell me you're a thing now. I will be so happy. No joke. I am not kidding." Ponyhead said, floating around him in circles.

"...yeah...we're a couple...if that's what...you mea-." Marco said before covering his ears. He knew what was coming. Ponyhead lit up in excitement.

"HONEY YAAAAAS! FINALLY! YOU TWO WERE TAKING FOR- _EV_ -ER!" Ponyhead exclaimed raising her head up high and bouncing on top of Marco's head.

"Ah! Ponyhead! I have ears, you know!" Marco reminded her as said ears were ringing. Everyone stopped talking and turned, wondering what in the world just happened.

"What are you guys looking at? We are having a private conversation. Carry on with yours, okay?" Ponyhead told them.

"Actually, we should be going. I feel like we are going to need our sleep tonight. How about we check on your room? It's just outside this door and down the hall." Moon gestured to the door she had just come in through. She turned around and jumped, seeing a muscular gentleman standing there.

"Um...hello, sir."

Sensei waved back with a blank face. Star and Moon started towards the door. Star looked back over her shoulder.

"Come on, guys!" She called them over. Marco and Ponyhead followed them out of the door while Sensei and Seahorse stood there in the dojo. After a moment of silence, Seahorse turned to him.

"Would you like to continue the shoot, sir?" Seahorse asked him with a very unsettling smile.

"Dude...a seahorse is talking to me…" Sensei replied.


	3. Pasta A La Starco

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Pasta a la Starco**

Star, Marco, Ponyhead, Janna, and Moon began to walk over to Star's room. Star couldn't wait to get settled in once again, especially knowing that Marco's house was right next door. They were basically neighbors now. Marco suddenly heard some screaming coming from outside. He went over to a cutout in the stone wall nearby to look at the town below, taking notice as to how the humans were acting; afraid. Anytime a monster went near them, they would either hide or fight back. They were doing this to anyone that didn't look like them. This made Marco concerned. Star noticed and came right over to him.

"What'cha looking at?" Star said before looking down at the town, seeing exactly what was worrying Marco. "Oh…"

"Are you sure...we should let Ponyhead go out there?" Marco asked.

"Wait, what?" Star didn't quite understand.

"Just...think about it. Humans are having a bad reaction to monsters right now. Imagine what would happen if they saw the head of a pony floating around." Marco explained, pointing at Ponyhead in front of them.

"You don't think she can handle herself with them?" Star asked.

"Star, humans might not have magic, but they have weapons and technology that's just as powerful. What if things get ugly down there? Now that magic is gone...Ponyhead is basically defenseless." Marco told her. Star glanced down at the ground, thinking about what Marco was telling her. She looked back up at him

"Marco, I don't-" Star started before Marco took his hands and placed them on her shoulders.

"Star, please trust me. I know about humans a lot more than you do, being that I am one. I really don't want to see one of our friends...one of your best friends, get hurt." Star's eyes wandered back down to the town. She watched a nearby couple standing in front of a monster. The couple pushed the monster down violently. Star flinched. A mewman nearby walked over to them, making sure they were okay. The humans walked away from them as the monster was in pain. She was thankful that only a few humans were acting like this. But...what if this was...almost every human? What if it got worse? She would never be able to forgive herself if something happened to her. These monsters are like family to her. Star took a deep breath.

"You're…" Star sighed. "You're right." Star said to him. Marco gave her a reassuring smile.

"Star? We're here." Moon called to her. Star turned her head to the front, seeing her wooden door with a star on the front with words reading 'Star's Room'. Seeing her room took her mind off of her worries.

"Ooo!" Star moved up to the front of the group and up towards the door. She smushed her whole body against it as if she was hugging her room to say hello. "Hi there." Marco raised an eyebrow.

"Star?" Marco asked.

"Oh um…" Star stood up straight, clearing her throat. "Sorry. Okay, here we go." She grabbed the doorknob, beginning to open it. "Ladies and Gentleman, welcome back to my ro-" Star opened the door, revealing something she didn't expect. Her room was completely ruined and destroyed. She smelled the strong scent of burnt wood and charred clothes. All of her furniture was burnt and there were holes in the walls and ceilings, allowing cold air to come inside. Everyone couldn't believe her eyes. The battle really did a number on everything.

"Oooo...girl." Ponyhead said, feeling sorry for her best friend. Star shed a frown. She looked down, seeing a few photos on the ground. She dropped to her knees to look at them. There were some of her and Marco, some of her and Ponyhead, and many more. Star tried to hold the tears in. Without magic, there's no way she could get her room back to the way it was. Marco and Moon noticed she was broken inside. They both came beside her and got on their knees, putting their arms around her, comforting her.

"I'm...I'm so sorry, dear." Moon said, feeling bad for her daughter.

"Usually I'm able to fix this with a wave of magic but...I can't." Star said, looking down at the ground. She was too upset to look up at anybody.

"Well, like I learned while living in the wilderness, hard work and dedication pay off in the end. We'll rebuild and make this room even greater than when you left it." Moon said.

"...okay. How long do you think it'll take?" Star asked.

"Well, it might take a while, but-" Moon was interrupted.

"No." Marco said, pulling away from Star a bit and sitting up..Star and Moon quickly turned her head

"Marco?" Star was confused. "What do you mean by no? I need a room."

"No no, that's not what I meant." He said to her, waving his arms about. "How about...you build your room back at my house again? It can be just like it used to be..." Marco told her. Star's eyes lit up. "...just you and me...spending time together. You know, making nachos, watching late night movies, walking the laser puppies. I mean...I would like that. We can work on your room together! It's really up to your mom though. I don't want to be the one to decide." Marco turned his head to Moon. Star smiled at him. She turned her head to her mother. Moon could tell that Star and Marco both wanted this. She remembered how genuinely happy Star was when she was living with Marco the day Moon told her she had to leave because Toffee returned. That's all she wanted for her daughter though; genuine happiness. She also knew that she could trust Marco. She saw him as a good man; treating Star like the most important person in the world. Moon nodded and smiled.

"That is a great idea." Moon told her. Star gasped, hugging her mother tightly.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Star exclaimed. Marco decided to get into the hug too.

"Yeah, thank you." Marco told her. Moon couldn't help but feel so great about saying yes to Marco's idea. They all let go of each other after a minute or two of hugging. Marco stood up, holding his hands out to help Star and Moon up. They gladly accepted them.

"Well…" Marco took his hands and brushed off the ash from his knees. "I think it's time to go get Star what I promised." Marco said.

"What was that?" Moon asked.

"A cell phone." Janna told her. Moon raised an eyebrow.

"Why...would you go to a prison cell to get a phone?" Moon said, scratching the top of her head.

"No, no, no. A _cell_ phone. It's what humans use instead of mirrors." Star explained to her.

"Well...okay. I'll come with you. I should buy one as well since magic is gone." Moon said before they all began to walk out the door. Ponyhead came next to Star, leaning her whole body on her arm. Star turned to look at her.

"Now, girl, listen, you know I am very good at interior decorating. We need to think of a theme for your new room, okay? I have some color swatches and some ideal designs. We'll have to go to the mall to get some supplies." Ponyhead told her as Star listened. Marco watched from afar. Worry grew on his face. Moon noticed.

"Marco? Are you alright?" Moon asked him.

"Oh um...yeah. I'm fine." Marco lied. Ponyhead would be putting herself in danger going out there amongst humans. He could tell that Star didn't want to say anything just yet. They both didn't know how exactly to approach Ponyhead about this, knowing she is very sensitive. Marco continued to watch Star and Ponyhead talk, even though he couldn't hear a word they were saying now.

"Okay, question. Who asked who out first?" Ponyhead asked Star. Star quickly turned her head., raising an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?" Star chuckled.

"Girl, don't be playing with me. Earth Turd told me that Starco has sailed." Ponyhead told her. Star had never heard that word in her life. She scratched the top of her head.

"Star...co? What?" Star said, confused.

"Star. And. Marco. Girl, like...it's a ship name. Every couple has one." Ponyhead replied. Star's face lit up a bit.

"Oh…we have a ship name?" Star giggled with a little spring in her step.

"Yeah. Now spill. Tell me the deets." Ponyhead said.

"It's a long story, Pony." Star chuckled before coming up to a door to the outside world. She stopped in her tracks. Star could feel her heartbeat grow heavier. She didn't have a choice now. If she wanted to talk to Ponyhead, now was the time. Ponyhead continued to go towards the door

"Well, you can tell me all about it while we get you a cell phone...whatever that is. Then, I'm gonna party it up at some of the nightclubs here because you know. I'm a night person. I like nightclubs. I wanna see what this world has to give me!" Ponyhead exclaimed.

"Sorry to break it to you, Ponyhead, but there aren't any nightclubs around here...well, there weren't any in Echo Creek anyway so..." Marco shrugged. Ponyhead stopped, mouth gaped.

"...Yo, this place is sad…anyway, let's go." Ponyhead said as she floated towards the door. Star stopped her in her tracks, standing in front of the door.

"Look, Pony...I don't think...you should introduce yourself to this world just yet. You um...should stay here in the monster temple." Star said, not exactly sure how to phrase what she wants to tell her.

"Wha? Why? People love me, B-Fly. I can-" Ponyhead started.

"Ponyhead, no." Star interrupted. Ponyhead raised an eyebrow.

"Look, I don't understand why you're not letting me through this door but it's funny, yeah, it's a good joke." Ponyhead said, trying to get through. Star kept blocking her path.

"You don't understand. Everyo-" Star said, being interrupted by Ponyhead almost every time she talks. She already had a feeling something was about to go wrong.

"Girl, you know they'll be okay with me. I'm your best friend. You should know that-"

"No, Ponyhead you can't!" Star said to her, getting a bit heated that Ponyhead won't listen to her.

"Why not? I'm sure if I just go out there, I'll-" Ponyhead said, almost ignoring what Star said.

"NO!" Star exclaimed, losing her breath. Ponyhead backed up, shocked. Star bit her lip and closed her eyes. She regretted saying that immediately. Star took a deep breath before speaking. "Ponyhead, I-"

"If I can't go...Why can you all go out there, huh?" Ponyhead said, looking more upset by the second. Star opened her eyes and looked up at her.

"Because we are…" Star gestured at Marco, Janna, and her mother. "...or we're _like_...humans. You're...um…" Star said, hesitating to speak.

"A Ponyhead…" Ponyhead replied. Star could see the hurt in her eyes.

"Hey, I-" Star tried to say something.

"...are you embarrassed to be around me right now?" Ponyhead asked, shocked to hear something like this coming out of her best friend. Her sadness turned to anger.

"Ponyhead, you _know_ that's not what I-" Star said softly, trying to save herself.

"You always say that I'm one of the greatest people you know! Now you're treating me like an outcast!" Ponyhead exclaimed.

"Pony, you know I don't thi-"

"Just shut up! Okay?!" She yelled, turning around and tearing up as her makeup smudged. She began to float out the door they all came in from. "And I thought you were my best friend!" Ponyhead yelled before leaving the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Pony?" Star said, reaching her hand out. Everyone stood there, quiet and in shock at what just transpired. Star was on the verge of tears, trying her hardest to look strong and hold them in. Marco came behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"You want me to talk to her?" Marco asked her. Star shook her head.

"No, I...I just…" Star couldn't finish her sentence. She was too upset to speak. Marco saw a tear running down her cheek. Star wiped her nose with her arm. "I'm fine. We should...just give her some space." Marco nodded, taking his hand and wiping Star's tear away.

"I'm sure this will blow over at some point." Janna said to Star.

"Yes, Star. We all understood your reasonings. She will grow to understand too." Moon told her. Star looked down at the floor, feeling absolutely ashamed. She knew that what she did was right. Star only wished it turned out differently though.

"How about we go get you that cell phone? It might make you feel a little bit better." Marco told her with a smile. Star nodded, before they walked out the door, going outside. Marco's phone began to buzz. Star and the rest of the group didn't notice. He picked it up, seeing a text message from his parents. He opened it, seeing an attachment on it. He tapped it, opening a picture of them, looking as if they were having a good time.

Marco smiled, finding it reassuring that they're safe at the moment. He began to place it back in his pocket until he realized there was something else in the picture. He brought the phone back up to his face, seeing a figure in the background, trying to light a fire. He couldn't tell who is was, being that it was a silhouette of the person. Marco shrugged, putting his cell phone back in his pocket, thinking that it wasn't such a big deal. As long as his parents and sister were safe, it's all he cared about.

* * *

Ponyhead paced back and forth in a hallway in the monster temple, feeling absolutely upset and flat-out betrayed. She thought that Star had her back through thick and thin. Now she feels like she's not even wanted around them anymore. Ponyhead got her compact mirror out, thinking it would work. When she saw that it didn't have any power due to magic disappearing, she threw it in rage.

"AH! I can't take it anymore!" Ponyhead shouted. "I don't care if 'her royal majesty' says I can't go outside. I'm confident and I believe in myself, okay? I'm not going to hide away! The new world deserves Ponyhead!" A custodial monster came through the hallway. "No one can tell me what to do!"

"Yeah!" The custodial monster exclaimed. Ponyhead quickly jolted her body around to look at him.

"Hey! Did I ask you to be part of this conversation? This is a talk between me, myself and I, okay? Private. Conversation, okay?" Ponyhead told him.

"But...you're talking to yourse-"

"Didn't I just say _private_?" The monster quickly looked back down at the floor. and began to mop it like he didn't even see her there. Ponyhead went towards the door to the outside world. She pushed her torso into it, making it fly open.

"Get ready, humans. Here comes Pony!" She said confidently, floating through the doorway.

* * *

Star and Marco walked down the sidewalk to the Diaz household. Janna went back to her house while Moon stayed in the monster temple to tend to her fellow Mewman monster kind who took refuge there. The sun was down, showing all the stars in the most beautiful way, sparkling in the sky. The moons in the sky were so bright, shining down on them. Star and Marco were excited to go back to a place of peace and quiet. There was no more evil, no more magic, and no more craziness. Like Star wanted before, it was just her and Marco. The fact that they had the house all to themselves too was convenient. They could now get their lives back together after the whole fiasco with Mina. As they walked down the sidewalk, Marco had his arm around Star as she held a brand new cell phone in her hand.

"You were right, Marco. This does make me feel a bit better. I think this might be even better than my compact mirror!" Star said as she stared at her new cell phone. It was pretty much exactly what she wanted. It was a pink touch screen phone with a case shaped like a narwhal on the back. On the front of the case at the top was a rainbow. Star chuckled. "I wanna unlock it again." Star said as she pressed a button on the side of her phone. She swiped upwards, revealing the wallpaper she picked, which was an extreme close-up of a laser puppy that Marco sent to her via text message. "Awww. So cute." She chuckled. "Seriously, Marco, thank you so much for buying this for me." Star said before hugging him. "You're the best guy a mewhuman could have."

"Hey, it was no trouble. I just can't believe how much it cost for everything." Marco replied.

"$650." They both said together. They glanced at each other before laughing hysterically. Star wiped a happy tear from her eye.

"Honestly, what are the odds it would've come to exactly that price!" Star said, chuckling. They were suddenly able to see Marco's house in the distance. Star got excited. Marco let go of Star, having a feeling that Star was about to run, full speed ahead. "LASER PUPPIES! MAMA'S HOME!" Star said, grabbing Marco's hand and pulling him with her.

"I had a feeling that would ha-WOAH!" Marco said, being yanked by the arm, running along with her. Once they reached the door to the house, Star opened it quick before both she and Marco were trampled by a ton of little golden puppies with heart-shaped butts. "Okay, okay I've missed you too!" Marco said as they began to lick his cheeks. Star sighed happily as they got up, holding puppies in their arms.

"Well, at least this one bit of my magic is still alive and well." Star said as she nuzzled her face into about seven laser puppies. Marco loved seeing Star have a smile on her face after what happened between her and Ponyhead. He thought that after a fight like that, she wouldn't be happy for a while. It brought him some happiness in return. Star and Marco stood back up, walking around the entryway and living room, seeing that everything was normal after everything that happened. Marco went into the kitchen, looking around as if he was making sure certain things were there. Star came into the kitchen, watching Marco open cabinets and look in drawers. He opened the refrigerator, looking inside of it. Star came behind him.

"Whatcha looking for?" Star asked, peeking over Marco's shoulder.

"Ah!" Marco said, banging his head into the fridge, rubbing where he hit it right after. "Ow...oh, uh...nothing." He told her.

"How's...your head?" Star asked, hesitating to touch it.

"Pfft...I'm fine!" Marco said...as his head was pulsating.

"O...kay. You sure you weren't looking for something?" Star wondered.

"Oh, no, no, no. Just making sure everything around here's not destroyed, or anything." Marco chuckled. He had an idea to distract her from the conversation. "Hey, we should get you set up for the night. Come on." Marco said as he walked over to the stairs, gesturing for Star to follow him. Once they got to the top of the stairs, Marco went into his room. He walked over to his closet. Star walked into the room, feeling a wave of calmness and serenity. She finally felt as if she could relax and unwind, not having to worry about magic or a kingdom or crazy, loony Solarian warriors. Marco took out a blow-up bed from his closet, laying it across the floor next to his bed.

"Oh, I'm...sleeping in here?" Star asked him. Marco turned to look at her.

"Well, yeah. We've slept in the same room together before so I thought it would be okay." Marco told her.

"Oh don't worry! It's fine!" Star told him, waving her arms about. She suddenly realized she doesn't have any clothes here; no pajamas, no dresses, no shoes...nothing. All she had was the clothes that were on her body. Star felt as if this was about to get awkward. "Uh...Marco?"

"Yeah?" Marco replied as he began to pump up the blow-up bed using its built-in vacuum.

"Sooo all I have to wear is this dress...got any spare clothes?" Star said. Marco went bug-eyed. He completely forgot about that. He had to think of something or else Star would be sleeping in her dress. He looked in his closet, seeing if any of Star's clothes were in there. You never knew with Star. She's very unorganized. Her swimsuit was in the freezer, for goodness sake. Once he saw there was nothing in there, he went over to his dresser, taking out a white shirt and a pair of his sweatpants.

"Here. Uh...you can wear these if you want...unless you _wanted_ to sleep in your dress which is fine because I don't know how you would feel wearing _my_ clothes but-." Marco hesitated, handing them to her. Star gladly took them.

"Pfft, Marco, when will I ever pass the opportunity to wear my boyfriend's clothes?" Star giggled as she took them and slightly hugged them. Marco has never heard her call him that. It gave him butterflies in his stomach. He blushed, spacing out a bit. Star took notice.

"Hey, you okay?" Star asked him.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just...you've never called me your boyfriend before…well, at least not in front of me." Marco told her. "I like it." Marco smiled. Star attempted to make him blush even more, considering that she thought Marco being in his own little dream world was so cute.

"Well...your _girlfriend_ is going to take a shower." Star said as she kissed him on the cheek. Marco placed his hand right where she kissed him, shedding a grin. Star began to walk over to the bathroom, sort of proud of herself. "Hey, can I use your shampoo and soap?" She asked as she walked into the bathroom.

"Yeah..." Marco giggled, still in a daze. He lightly tapped his face, bringing himself back down to his new world. He cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah! Yes." Marco told her again. He looked down to the floor. "Man, she's good." Marco then looked at the door, making sure she was distracted. A look of determination swept his face. "Now it's my turn." He said as he got up and left the room to go downstairs.

* * *

A little more than an hour went by and Star finished her shower. She came out of the bathroom wearing Marco's clothes, hair fully dried, and bare feet. She couldn't stop smelling those clothes. They smelled so much like him. She kept bringing his shirt right to her nose, taking in the lovely scent of his cologne.

"Mmmm...aroma de un hombre" Star said, softly sighing. She looked around Marco's room, seeing that he set up everything; the bed, blankets, pillows, and even his laptop in case they wanted to watch some TV or movies. Something was missing though.

"Marco?" Star wondered where he went. She suddenly smelled something coming from downstairs. "Huh?" Star uttered under her breath. She walked out of Marco's room and walked down the steps. Star turned her head, seeing Marco with his chef's hat on, cooking at the stove. She saw so many foods; pasta, bread, salads, and so many more that she couldn't name, being that she's never seen them before. It's like Marco made a feast! Marco heard a floor creaking nearby. He turned his head to see her wearing his clothes. He shed a grin on his face.

"You said you never had Italian food before, right?" Marco asked her. Star gasped.

"Marco! What...what's all this?" Star asked him with such a smile.

"Oh, uh...well, since we...you know...got together, I realized that we never had an official first date." Marco said, trying his hardest to act smooth. "So I thought we could have one tonight. Dinner is made by yours truly." Marco said as he bowed. Suddenly a burst of fire came from the one burner on the grill. Marco jumped. "AH!" He quickly put a pot lid on top of it and turned off the one section of the stove. Star couldn't help but giggle. Marco cleared his throat, trying to act all smooth again as he wiped his nose. He had some hair in his eyes. "It's uh...it's my treat." He told her, blowing the hair away from his face. Star laughed a little.

"This is...so sweet! We could have gotten takeout, you know." Star told him, flattered he would do all this just for her. It really showed her how much Marco cared for her. He's done so many things for her today. It has never made her feel so special.

"Hey, my cooking is _much_ better than takeout and you know it." He said playfully, pointing a slotted spoon at her. Star shook her head in amusement.

"So...what's the special for tonight then, master chef?" She asked him.

"Well, first off, I tossed some salad and made some fresh garlic bread." Marco told her.

"Ooooo...I have no idea what that is but please...go on." Star said, laughing a little inside.

"It's bread...with garlic. Trust me you'll love it. Then, I miiiggghhhtt have made my own little creation." Marco told her.

"Really? Do tell, my good man." Star said to him. Marco gestured for her to come over to him as he lifted the lid on a giant pot, revealing a ton of pasta mixed with meatballs and other delicious items in it.

"I call it…" Marco took out his cell phone, playing a drum roll sound effect. "Pasta A La Starco."

"Waaaaiiiittt a minute. How do you know about our ship name?!" Star said, wondering where in the world he heard that from.

"Mr. Candle...long story. Anyway, I wondered how adding queso to the pasta would taste. Then I added tomatoes and meatballs and some ground beef, you know, like you put in nachos and-" Marco stopped to see Star smelling the food inside the pot, letting out a happy little sigh from how great the smell was.. "And a lot of other things. I don't know if it'll go together but hey, I'm not afraid to experiment."

"On our first date though?" Star asked, smiling and raising an eyebrow.

"But...it's like...Super Awesome Nachos...and you love those from what I remember." Marco said with puppy dog eyes. Star laughed and elbowed him.

"So...what's for dessert then?" Star asked, looking around the room. Marco came closer to Star and wrapped his arms around her, looking into her eyes. Star did the same, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Dessert? Hmmm...well...there's this." Marco said before kissing her on the cheek. Star playfully gasped.

"Marco Ubaldo Diaz, you've got some moves there." Star said, giggling slightly. She found Marco trying to impress her absolutely adorable.

"...that was cheesy, wasn't it…" Marco said to her as let go of Star and lifted his hands to cover his face in shame. Star suddenly raised an eyebrow and grinned.

"Hey...nothing is too cheesy...cheese is amazing, okay?" Star told him as Marco revealed his face, bringing his hands back down to his sides. They both started laughing at this whole situation, holding their stomachs from chuckling so hard.

"Anyway, I think all the food's done so we can dig in!" Marco said, grabbing two plates from one of the kitchen cabinets. Star reached out her hand to grab a plate. Marco swiped the plate away. "Woah, no, no, no! You, Star, are my date!" Marco said as he put some food on her plate as well as his own. Star sighed.

"What a gentleman." She said to herself. Marco held the plates in both hands. "Now let's see...we could go to the living room and watch a movie." Marco said to her. Star thought to herself for a second.

"Actually, I have a better idea." Star said to him.

* * *

After a few minutes, Star and Marco set themselves up outside in the backyard, sitting on a blanket laid across the ground. They decided to make it even cozier by bringing even more blankets outside along with some pillows, wrapping one of the blankets around them for some cuddle time. Marco brought his phone so he could play some Hispanic love songs. They brought their food outside with them as well, making it like a nighttime picnic. The stars outside were so bright. They couldn't have asked for a better night to be doing this. To think, if they didn't go back for each other in the Realm of Magic, this wouldn't even be happening. This was one of the best days of their lives for the two lovebirds. As Star and Marco sat close together finishing some special Pasta A La Starco, Marco let out a sigh.

"You know, tonight, without a doubt, is perfect." Marco said.

"I know. The music is 'perfecto'." Star said, trying her best to speak some Spanish. "The food was...meh." Star said to him. Marco jumped.

"What?!"

"I'm kidding, Marco!" Star chuckled while Marco playfully glared. "Anyway, the best part about it is that we're here together...just me…" Star took Marco's hand. "...and you." Star said. She suddenly began to ponder everything that happened today, suddenly becoming sad. "It really makes up for a lot after what happened with Ponyhead. I just...I don't know what to do. I ran like I always do and didn't go after her like I should have. Some friend I am." Star let go of Marco's hand, wrapped her arms around her legs and faceplanted right onto her knees. Marco felt bad for her. He really didn't like to see her upset either.

"Hey, I think she needed some space anyway." Marco told her.

"But what if she never talks to me again? We've been friends for...basically our whole lives. She probably thinks I'm the worst person in the world." Star turned her head to look at Marco

"You were trying to protect her. You didn't do anything wrong." He told her as she stared at the ground. "Another thing; don't say that you're a bad friend either. Even though we're a couple now, you're still my best friend." Star lifted her head a little bit, listening to what Marco had to tell her. "And from hanging out with you, I can tell you that you're the greatest friend a person...or pony...could ever have." Marco said to her. Star started to feel a bit better. "Trust me on this." Marco winked at her.

"What would I ever do without you, Marco?" Star said as they embraced. Suddenly, _Just Friends_ by Love Sentence started to play on his phone. Marco wondered what that song was doing in his love song playlist. Star chuckled at the sound of it.

"It's funny how we sang to this all the time." Star said to him.

"Yeah. It's kind of ironic." Marco said. Star leaned a little closer to him.

"Hey...maybe we should buy Janna and Tom those toothbrushes." Star told him. They both laughed, although they were very tempted to do so. Star and Marco continued to cuddle. Marco took his hand and stroked her head, feeling the softness of her hair. They both turned their heads to look up at the night sky.

"You know, this beats all of the skies and sunsets we've seen before." Star said to him. Marco pulled his head back a bit to look at Star. He gazed at her golden hair, flawless skin, and diamond blue eyes shimmering in the moonlight. Marco could just about drool right now. In fact...he did. Star turned to see it.

"Uh, Marco? You got a little-" Star said, wiping her mouth to tell Marco that he's drooling quite a bit.

"Oh! Sorry, I just-" Marco said, wiping his mouth before seeing Star gazing at him too. His chocolate brown hair, his chocolate brown eyes, and that adorable mole on his cheek; how could she not stare at him? They both simultaneously started leaning their heads closer and closer until their lips met. They brought themselves deeper into the kiss, enjoying each other's touch. They began to lean back, landing softly on the pillows behind them, continuing the kiss. After a minute, they slowly pulled back, looking at each other, taking in that moment. Magic might have been destroyed, but that kiss felt like magic to them. Heck, this whole night has felt magical. After laying there a bit, they sat up. Marco cleared his throat.

"Well, I'm getting tired. How about you?" Marco said, stretching his arms as he yawned.

"Yeah, it's been an _eventful_ day." Star said, yawning as well. "I'll help you clean up." Star said as they both stood up, gathering all of their stuff and bringing it inside.

* * *

A half hour went by. It was about 11 PM, the perfect time to settle down and hit the hay. Star and Marco walked upstairs together, about ready to crash. After walking into Marco's room, Marco began to get comfortable on the blow-up bed. Star became confused. Wasn't she supposed to sleep there?

"Hey, wait. I thought I was sleeping on the blow-up bed." Star said to him, pointing at the blow-up bed in front of her. Marco shook his head.

"No, no, no. I don't want you to be uncomfortable. You're taking my bed. It's the least I can do." Marco shrugged. Star softly smiled at him.

"Aww, Marco. Thank you." Star said as she sat on Marco's bed and got under the blankets. "You're completely sure about this?" She asked him, looking down at him.

"Pfft, yeah. I'll be fine. What I care about is you. Don't worry about me." Marco said as he sat up a little bit to kiss her cheek. "Night, Star." Marco said. "I um...I love you." He said hesitantly, hoping it wasn't weird for him to say that. Star blushed at the sound of those three words. She felt so great inside from hearing them.

"Heh...love you too, Marco." Star said to him. After a few seconds, Marco was asleep, snoring very slightly. Star held a hand to her heart, watching him slumber for a second. "So cute." She said to herself before getting under the blankets. The blankets stank a little bit. But did she care? Not a bit. She liked that smell, in fact. It smelled like Marco. That's the smell she liked the best. It didn't take long before that smell helped her fall right to sleep.


	4. Sugar Seeds

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Sugar Seeds**

It was around 2 AM. Star and Marco were sleeping soundly in their beds. Crickets were chirping and there were some dragon cycles that could be heard in the distance which was a very...very weird combination of sounds to hear at once. Did either of them care? Nope. They were just happy to be in the same house together like old times. Peace and quiet were just what they needed after a day like they had.

Suddenly, Star started to toss and turn a bit. Over and over, she shifted like she was absolutely uncomfortable. She began to moan and groan. The moaning then turned to yelling. Marco woke up, hearing her cries. He sat up immediately, sitting on his bed.

"Huh, what? Marco turned his head, seeing Star shift constantly. He got up and sat on his bed, right next to Star. "Star? Star!" Marco said, trying to gently wake her up without scaring her. Star wasn't coming out of it. She was having a massive nightmare. It was making Marco panic. He did not like seeing Star like this. This wasn't like her.

"No...no no no noooooooo!" Star exclaimed in her sleep. She kept on shaking and moving as if someone was attacking her in her dream. Marco kept trying to wake her up, knowing that whatever she was dreaming about was terrifying her.

"Please, Star! Wake up!" Marco exclaimed before Star shot up, yelping.

"Ah!" Star yelled. She sat there, out of breath. Marco noticed her face, wide-eyed like she just witnessed a murder. Marco tried her best to calm her down in the most gentle way possible.

"...Star? Look, it's me. I'm here." Marco told her, taking his hand and turning her head so she could see him. He moved some hair away from her face, seeing her watery eyes.

"M…Marco?" Star said, trembling at her words.

"Hey, it's okay." Marco said, taking his arm and gently pulling her closer, embracing her tight so she knew she was in a safe place. Star gladly took him and hugged him back. Tears began to run down her face as she began to cry. Marco held her even tighter, kissing the top of her head to help her relax. They sat there on the bed for a while, holding each other close. Marco was so glad he was able to wake her up. He'd never seen Star in such distress before. Frankly, it terrified him.

"You, uh...you want to talk about it?" Marco asked her. Star sniffled and wiped her nose with her arm.

"Um...I…" Star couldn't even talk. She was in too much distress. She took a deep breath in and out and tried to explain it again. "I was back on Mewni but like, Mewni before it combined with Earth Mewni...when the war with Mina was happening. There was destruction everywhere and the whole kingdom was on fire and...everyone was screaming and running away." Star told him. Marco understood how much the battle affected her. A lot happened during that time and it scarred her, especially after she destroyed the magic. "Then, I was at the Realm of Magic and...it was falling apart. Then, I saw y-...then…"She started shaking. Marco could tell this is where the nightmare got really ugly. Star suddenly grabbed even more tightly to him.

"I was there...wasn't I?" Marco asked. Star didn't speak, she just grabbed him tighter. She didn't have to say anything for Marco to know that the answer was yes. Something must have happened to him in the dream. He wished he could know, but now was not the time to ask.

"I'm…" Star sniffled, trying to control her breathing again. "I'm so happy you're here with me." She told him. Marco rested his head on hers, helping her understand that he's absolutely fine.

"Hey, hey...I'm not going anywhere, okay? You're pretty much stuck with me." Marco told her with a smirk, trying to make her smile a bit. Star let out a slight chuckle. Marco was happy to see that look on her face. Being in Marco's arms made Star feel much better. She started to relax and her breathing began to normalize.

"Feeling better?" Marco asked her as they let go of each other slightly. Star nodded.

"Yeah….yeah, I'm good now." Star let out a small breath. "Thanks for uh...for comforting me. I know it's late." Star told him.

"Oh, come on. It's what I'm here for." Marco said as he began to get up off his bed. Star quickly grabbed his hand.

"Wait." Star said to him. "Can you stay here? I'd rather have someone next to me in case I have a nightmare again." Star asked. Marco nodded as he reached down, grabbed the pillow from the blow-up bed, and put it behind him. He leaned against it as he pulled Star closer to him, having her sleep in the crevice of his shoulder. Star let out a happy little sigh, nuzzling her face into him. He took his hand and brushed some of her hair out of her face and began to stroke her cheek. Marco started to feel tired, falling asleep in a matter of minutes.

* * *

The sun arose, shining through the window of Marco's room. Star and Marco were sleeping on Marco's bed, sitting up slightly while being covered by blankets. Star's eyes opened slowly as she woke up. Her eyes squinted from the sunlight. She was so comfortable that she didn't want to move. Her dreams were much better after Marco came to help her. He's like her knight in shining armor. He was a knight on Mewni so it works. She looked up to see Marco still embracing her as he slept. She slightly gasped in disbelief.

"I cannot believe you." Star said with a smile, whilst being kind of out of it from just waking up. Marco stayed with her, holding Star the entire night. When do you ever get a boyfriend like that? She thought that after a while, Marco would go back to the blow-up bed. Star felt like the luckiest girl in the world. She kissed his cheek softly before getting up to go to the bathroom. Suddenly, Marco spoke.

"Believe it, sister." Marco mumbled. Star jumped.

"AH! Marco! You heard me?" Star asked him, kind of amused as her hands were on her hips.

"Hmmm…" Marco stretched his arms, waking himself up. "Sorry, I was sleeping." Marco said before he pretended to snore, trying to be playful. Star raised an eyebrow before charging to him, tickling him to no end. Marco cried laughing. What a way to wake up in the morning!

"Star!" Marco chuckled. "I've...I've only been up for a minute and you're already ma-making me laugh!" Marco couldn't even talk. After a few seconds, Star stopped and laid herself, stomach up, across Marco. They both sat on the bed, laughing really hard at what just transpired. Once they calmed down, Star rolled over so she could see Marco. They just sat there to look at each other, although they had messy bed hair and all. They leaned in to give each other a quick kiss.

"Hi." Marco said with a smile.

"Hello there." Star replied. Marco swept some of Star's hair out of her face.

"So, I'm guessing you slept better last night after what happened?" Marco asked out of curiosity. Star seemed really happy this morning.

"Yup. Nothing but unicorns and chocolate cake in my dreams last night." Star told him.

"Great! What'cha dream about?" Marco asked. Star gave him a straight face.

"...I just told you...unicorns and chocolate cake." Star said to him. Marco stared blankly at her.

"Oh, you were serious.' Marco chuckled. He shook his head in amusement. "Well…" Marco cleared his throat. "...you want to celebrate with a little breakfast?" Marco asked, raising an eyebrow. Star shed a grin.

"Mmmm...well, Mr. Diaz, what kind of breakfast did you have in mind?" Star asked him playfully.

* * *

"Captain Blanche's Sugar Seeds: Explosive Edition!" Star and Marco said together as Marco held the box high above his head. They stood in the kitchen right near the counter.

"Sweet cereal that pops in your mouth. A taste bud...EXPLOSION!" Marco exclaimed loud and proud. They began to make explosion noises with their mouths. He brought the box back down to eye level. He and Star grabbed a spoon from the countertop, holding them with their hands. They clinked them together. They both gave each other a game face.

"Let's do this." Star said, ready to dig into some super good cereal. They went over to two bowls sitting on top of the island counter before Marco poured the cereal into both of them before they dipped their spoons into them, picking up some cereal. They ate some of the cereal, tasting nothing but sugary goodness. Suddenly, the cereal started to tingle. It was like the cereal was tap-dancing in their mouth.

"Weird." Star said. She heard the cereal popping in her mouth as she ate it.

"Good weird or bad weird?" Marco asked her.

"Oh, good weird. Deliciously weird if I do say so myself." Star replied.

"Well said." Marco said as they gave each other a high-five. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Laser puppies came out of the blue, barking at the sound of the door. Star and Marco froze with their spoons still in their mouths. Marco pulled the spoon out of his mouth. "Wait, who's that" Marco asked himself as he and Star walked over to the door. Star opened the door to reveal a woman wearing a purple dress, sporting a dark turquoise hair-do. Star's mouth gaped as the spoon came out of her mouth, dropping to the floor.

"Hello, sweetie." Eclipsa said to her, standing right outside the doorway with a box to her left side.

"Eclipsa!" Star said, excited to see a familiar face. "What are you...I mean, how did you find us?" Star asked, wondering how in the world she knew about this place. Eclipsa's never been to Earth before so she would never have known about it.

"Oh, I was just talking to your Mother at the Monster Temple." She said, pointing her thumb behind her. "She said you would be here. It's a lucky thing this place is close by or else I would have had a tad bit of trouble finding it."

"So wait, where's Meteora? And Globgor?" Star asked, looking around behind her.

"They're at the Monster Temple. I don't think it would be wise for them to venture out yet, considering that there are humans around who've never encountered monsters before."

"Smart move." Star told her. Marco came from behind her, making Eclipsa gasp.

"Hi." Marco said, waving hello. Eclipsa was about to cry little tears of happiness.

"So...it is true. Your mother told me that you two were the reason for Mewni and Earth combining and that you both reunited but it sounded too good to be true. Oh, my loves I'm so happy for you both!" Eclipsa said, holding her hands to her heart. She reached her arms out to hug them both. They gladly accepted it, hugging her back in a loving embrace. They all let go after a few seconds.

"You wanna come in and sit?" Marco asked. Eclipsa smiled.

"Oh, why not." Eclipsa said. She reached down to her left, picking up a white box.

"So...what's in the box?" Star asked, pointing at it.

"I'll tell you in just a minute." Eclipsa told her, winking at her. She walked in, looking around. She had never been in an Earth household so the decorum was something new to her. All she's used to is tapestries and candle-lit torches in large hallways...and some skeletons. Although it was different, Eclipsa appreciated the fact that it felt comfortable. "So, is this your home, Marco?" She asked him.

"Yeah! My parents live here too but they're...well, actually I don't know where they are. They said they're safe though." Marco said with a hopeful grin.

"Well, that's a relief at least." Eclipsa said, putting a hand on his shoulder for reassurance. "Your home is quite...cozy. I like it." She told him with a smile.

"Thanks." Marco replied.

"Did you have breakfast yet? Oh, you should try Captain Blanche's Sugar Seeds! Magic might be gone but I promise you that they are full of it." Star said with a giant beaming smile as she grabbed the box, realizing it was super light. She turned it upside down, shaking it. Nothing came out of it. She ate it all. The sugar from the cereal might have affected her a bit. They walked over to the couches in the living room. Star and Marco sat on one as Eclipsa sat in the armchair right next to it.

"Oh, no thank you. I already ate." Eclipsa told them. Suddenly, her face turned from happiness to looks of concern. They let go, a bit concerned by the tone of her voice.

"Hey, everything okay?" Marco asked.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Star added.

"I wanted to come to see you both anyway but your mother wanted you to know that...um..." Eclipsa hesitated to speak. "Princess Ponyhead is missing."

"What!? But...but we just saw her in the Monster Temple!" Marco told her.

"We didn't really leave things on a good note with her though." Star said, looking down to the ground with the saddest look on her face. Eclipsa felt sorry for her.

"I heard. You did the right thing, Star. I would have done the same thing if Globgor wanted to leave the monster temple. Things...aren't safe for monsters right now."

"See, that's what I said!" Marco added. Eclipsa sighed.

"But your mother and I looked all over the temple. There's no sign of her." Eclipsa added.

"So...where do you think she went?" Marco asked.

"I have no idea, but we need to find her. Who knows where she is or what trouble she might be in." Star said as she stood up. "I just need to get into my dress." She said, although she _loved_ wearing Marco's clothes at the moment. They were so soft and stunk just like him. Eclipsa stopped her.

"Wait!" Eclipsa said, reaching a hand out to her. Star stopped and turned around, giving Eclipsa her full attention. "Speaking of dresses, I actually have something for you." Eclipsa said as she handed her the white box she had this whole time. Star took the box, opening it, revealing a purple devil horn headband with an article of clothing underneath it. She took the horns on her head off and put the purple ones on, jumping up and down in place. "I had it specially made after you helped me with my...cornonation, I believe you called it." Eclipsa chuckled as Star turned to Marco with a smirk, glaring at him for that spelling error.

"Hey...I mean, come on! It worked!" Marco shrugged. Star shook her head in amusement before looking back at Eclipsa.

"Anyway, I completely forgot to give it to you. Besides, after everything that has happened, I have more of a reason to give it to you now." Eclipsa told her. Star took the clothing out of the box, revealing a beautiful dress. She gasped. It was a light shade of turquoise with a little white collar, two pockets on the chest and a belt with a narwhal shaped buckle. A sheer fabric lay underneath it, revealing polka-dots of a darker shade than the dress. In the box also lay a pair of light turquoise and brown striped leggings and purple boots with a turquoise toe. On the sole of the boots were blue waves. It was probably one of the most beautiful dresses Star's ever seen. She looked at Eclipsa with hearts in her eyes.

"I had my best monster tailors make the outfit. I designed it though. Consider it a hidden talent of mine." Eclipsa told her, letting out a small chuckle. Star instantaneously grabbed Eclipsa into a big warm hug.

"It's perfect! Thank you!" Star said in a very high pitched voice. Eclipsa reciprocated and wrapped her arms around Star.

"You're welcome, love." Eclipsa replied. Star let go of Eclipsa and stood there, looking at her new outfit. She put it down, looking at both Marco and Eclipsa.

"I'm gonna go put it on! Give me a minute!" Star said as she ran up the steps to Marco's room. Marco giggled, watching Star act so excited. Eclipsa watched him with a soft smile. Marco turned his head to Eclipsa.

"You okay?" Marco asked her. Eclipsa nodded.

"Oh, yes. Everything's fine. I'm just thrilled to see you two so happy together. You both remind me so much of Globgor and myself." Eclipsa said as she looked off into the distance, thinking of her husband.

"Wow...really?" Marco asked, shedding a grin. He looked down at the floor. "Yeah. There's...no one else I'd rather be with than her." Marco looked up at the stairs.

"Well, I think you two make a wonderful couple. There's a reason why I told you that you shouldn't be in a rush to get rid of those feelings. I knew they would come to good use in due time." Eclipsa told him.

"Heh, thanks...for helping me with them, anyway." Marco replied.

"It's the least I can do." Eclipsa leaned closer as if she wanted to whisper something to him. "Besides, you don't even need to tell me anything for me to see how much you like her too. She's a rare gem, that one." Eclipsa told him.

"Well, what can't you like about Star? She's the coolest girl I've ever met in my life. She literally brightens a room when she walks in it. She's fun, she's sweet and...adorable and…" Marco started to get lost in his thoughts thinking about Star. Eclipsa was enjoying this.

"Mmhmm...Go on." She said, wanting to hear more.

"Her eyes...are like perfectly cut topaz and her hair is like...soft...golden silk." Marco happily sighed, placing his head in his hands as his arms leaned on the top of his legs. "Her skin is so...so soft...and her smile…" Marco sighed. "Yeah...her smile is what really makes her so...amazing." Marco's smile grew even bigger. "Man, I love her."

"Awww." Eclipsa said, holding her hands to her heart once again. She felt as if this was a genuine love story coming to life. His words were so beautiful. He loves Star more than she thought he did. Suddenly, Marco heard a sniffle coming from the steps.

Star was standing there, listening to everything Marco said. Marco jumped, not realizing she was listening the entire time. No one's ever described her like that. She couldn't believe the words that just came out of his mouth. She held her hand up to her mouth, trying to keep herself from crying super hard. It's been a while since she's felt this special. Sure, saving her home was one thing. Knowing someone loved her and thought of her this way was a whole new story. Marco stood there, feeling a bit embarrassed, thinking as if what he said was way too cheesy for words

"Oh! Star! I uh...I..." Marco froze, seeing Star in her newly made outfit. It looked amazing on her. Marco felt like he was about to drool for a second time. "Woah." Marco pulled at his collar, feeling sweaty all of a sudden. "You look...woah." He chuckled nervously. Star came down the steps and walked to him.

"Heh...thanks." She said as she looked down at her dress, shifting left and right to look at it. She looked back up at Marco. "Did...you really mean all those things you said?" Star asked him. Marco wondered why Star was asking this.

"Well...yeah. Of course, I did." Marco said. He noticed Star was having a little doubt. He took his hand and placed it under her chin, lifting her head up a bit. "Wait...you don't believe any of that?" Marco asked her. Star shed a slight frown. She looked to her side.

"...I don't know." Star said to him. After her friends getting wounded back at Mewni and after having a fight with Ponyhead, she's been left wondering if she really is a good person inside. She already told Marco back at the pig goat stable. She didn't tell him that those thoughts never went away. "It's just...I've been feeling a little down about myself...that's all. After everything that's been going on lately, I've felt awful. Now, Ponyhead's missing."

"Star, you can't blame yourself for what's happened. All of it has been beyond your control." Eclipsa told her.

"She's right, you know." Marco told her. Star let out a sigh. "The Star I know ignores all those negative thoughts and uses them as motivation to create some good in the world. It's what you do." Marco put a hand on her shoulder. "Plus, when you make a mistake, you always fix it." Star thought about what Marco said before looking up at him.

"So...you think...I make the world better?"

"Yup. And you're going to make this world better too." Marco took her hands in his. "We're going to make it better." Marco said, determined.

"Well said, Marco." Eclipsa added. They were right. Star needed to focus on the positives. Heck, it's what Marco loves about her. She wasn't about to change it all now. It was time to shove all of that negativity away. She grew confident from Marco and Eclipsa's words. Star grinned.

"Let's find Ponyhead." She said.


	5. Code Name: Pigeon

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Code Name: Pigeon**

"So, how do we find her? The world's changed so much. We don't know where anything is at this point." Marco asked, wondering how finding Ponyhead could even be possible. Star thought for a minute before looking up at Eclipsa and Marco.

"We're going to need some help." Star told him.

"Okay, so...who were you thinking of asking?" Marco asked.

"I can help." Janna said to them, suddenly appearing through the doorway with a backpack on her back. Everyone jumped.

"AH!" Everyone shouted.

"Janna, when did you-" Marco started. He then suddenly remembered that there might be a chip implanted in him somewhere. "Okay, where's the chip!? Where. Is. THE CHIP?!"

"Do you really want to know the answer to that question?" Janna asked him. Marco's eyes grew wide. "Anyway, I had a feeling that you'd need my help later on today so...I decided to stick around the area." Janna noticed Eclipsa sitting in the armchair next to Star and Marco. "What's up Eclipsa?" She said, nudging her head up.

"Um...hey." Eclipsa replied, waving very slightly.

"Wait, how'd you open the door?" Marco asked. Janna took a set of keys out of her pocket. Marco shed a straight face.

"Right." Marco said. "Why do I even ask?" He shrugged. Star grabbed his face, turning it to look at her.

"Marco. Focus." She said as she let go of his head. "Now, Janna Banana, Ponyhead's missing. We need your help to find her." Star explained to her.

"No problem." Janna said as she took her backpack off her back and got out her laptop. She brought it to the kitchen, placing her backpack on the floor and putting the laptop on the counter. Star, Marco, and Eclipsa followed her. Janna opened her laptop, revealing that picture of Marco in his boxers again.

"Marco, is...is that you?" Eclipsa chuckled. Marco simply just took his hood, put it over his head, and hid his face. Janna brought up the internet on her laptop. They all watched the screen as she typed into the search bar.

"Whaaat are you doing?" Star asked as Marco lifted his hood off his head.

"Looking at social media. If there's a flying Ponyhead out in a world full of humans, people are going to be talking about it." Janna explained.

"You know, I'm surprised that she doesn't have a social media accou-" Marco began to say before being interrupted by a video.

"Yo, what is up my adoring beautiful fans!" Ponyhead exclaimed on a video recording, in front of the cell phone store. Everyone's mouth gaped. Marco faceplanted on the countertop.

"You've got to be kidding me." Marco mumbled.

"Well, I mean, you're not all as pretty as me but I try to be kind and humble and selfless, you know? I just got an earth cell phone because everyone else has one and I didn't have one so yeah...I bought one. The only thing I wished is that they LOWERED THE PRICE A BIT!" Ponyhead yelled behind her. Everyone stared at her from afar. "A good friend had $650 and I'm sure he wouldn't have minded that I borrow it so thank goodness I had it." Marco gasped, checking his pockets. No wonder his pockets were slightly empty.

"Wait, wha-...you too, Ponyhead?!" Marco said, flailing his arms around like an angry octopus.

"Dude, sharing is caring." Janna added.

" _That_ is _not_ sharing! That's stea-" Marco exclaimed before Star put her hand over his mouth.

"Shhhhhh...listen." Star told him quietly. They continued to watch the video.

"Now I can share my beautiful gorgeous face with everybody now because seriously, who are we kidding, I'm flawless!" Ponyhead explained quite loudly. Star sighed.

"Well...at least she doesn't seem mad at me anymore." Star said.

"Turns out she didn't heed your warning though." Eclipsa added. She saw another video on the screen. "Click on this one." She said, pointing to it. Janna clicked on the video, showing Ponyhead standing near a fence. Horses stood on the other side it.

"So it turns out that, like, I have long lost cousins here but they have legs and stuff. They don't talk either so like, they're not party animals like me." One of the horses began to eat her hair. "Hey, hey! Listen, you need to learn about personal space. I have a bubble, alright? It's my bubble, not yours." Another horse licked her face. Ponyhead's eye started twitching as she slowly floated away from them. "Okay, these guys are just weird so I'm just going away now." A horse suddenly whinnied extremely loud. "Yo, cousin! You need a throat lozenge or something!" The video ended right after.

"Oookayyy then." Marco reacted, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm afraid this doesn't tell us where she is." Eclipsa added.

"Well, looks like this is the last video she posted." Janna said, pressing the space bar. Instead of her giddy self, Ponyhead was upset, crying as her makeup smudged all over her face.

"I don't like this world anymore. I try to be nice to these humans and what do they do? They push me, throw trash at me, tell me to get out of their town when I know so well that I live here now too, okay? Like, what did I ever do to these people, huh?" Ponyhead said. Star watched as she saw her best friend tear up. She never liked seeing her friends cry, Ponyhead being one of them. Sure she'll cry from soap operas and boy bands. These were a whole new level of tears though. This made Star hurt inside, so much that she looked away from the laptop, glancing at her feet,

"...Star...if you're out there, girl…" Ponyhead began to say. Star suddenly lifted her head up, hearing her name. "I was wrong, okay? I admit it. I was wrong. I was wrong and you were right. We better still be friends after this because if I lose a friend like you, I have literally nothing left" She got closer to the camera. "No, like, seriously I'm thankful for other people in my life and all but you're the only one that gets me, you know?" Star smiled, close to shedding a happy tear. Hearing Ponyhead say all these things made Star feel a bit better about herself. She was doing the right thing. It was nice to hear that. Once the video ended, everyone turned their head to Star. They could tell she was absolutely conflicted.

"You okay?" Marco asked her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Mmmhmm." Star cleared her throat. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's just um...keep looking."

"Let me search a little deeper in the web." Janna said, typing on her laptop once again. Suddenly, a search result titled, _Horsehead Monster Kidnapped,_ appeared on the screen. The group gasped.

"Oh no." Marco uttered under his breath.

"Click it. Click it now!" Star exclaimed. Janna quickly tapped on it. A shaky video taken by what looks like a cell phone came up on the screen. In the distance, you could see Ponyhead walking down the sidewalk with the biggest frown on her face. Suddenly, a figure in a black cape came from behind her. You could hear the person taking the phone whispering to someone.

"Wait...who's that?" Eclipsa asked, pointing at the figure on the screen. The figure suddenly took a cloth bag and snatched Ponyhead inside of it. The group gasped. The figure walked away with Ponyhead in the sack.

"Ponyhead was kidnapped?!" Marco asked himself, holding his head in a panic. Star took a close look at the laptop screen.

"Janna, rewind it a bit." Star said. Janna took her mousepad and rewound the video, right before Ponyhead was taken. The video started playing again. Star gasped. "Wait, pause it there!" Star brought her head closer to the screen, looking at the perpetrator's arm. It wasn't an arm though. She glared at it.

"Star? Do you know who did it?" Marco asked.

"Not a human. That's for sure." Star told them.

"I'm sorry?" Eclipsa said.

"Are you saying it was a monster then?" Janna asked, thinking that's the only other option.

"Not that either." Star told her. This made everyone extremely confused.

"When you start making sense, just let us know." Janna said to her. Star facepalmed, sighing.

"Look." She told them as she pointed to the screen again. "It's not a human arm and it's not a monster arm."

"Wha?" Marco uttered under his breath. Everyone leaned their heads closer to the laptop to look at the kidnapper's arm.

"It's feathers." Star told them.

* * *

After Janna used her laptop to pinpoint the coordinates of the pigeon kingdom, Star and Marco got ready to infiltrate the pigeon castle. After heading upstairs, Marco walked into his room, went into his closet, and grabbed some karate gear out of it. Star looked over at Marco's side, seeing a pair of wooden nunchucks. She picked them up, observing them.

"Hey, Marco?" Star uttered.

"Yeah?"

"How do you use these?" Star said, holding them both in each hand. Marco turned his head to Star.

"Oh, nunchucks?" Marco stood up and walked behind her, mainly to avoid being hit because you never know with Star. "Okay, so you need to...hold them like this." Marco said, taking her hands and positioning them on certain parts of the nunchucks.

"Okay…" Star said.

"Then you take them and...well...strike things with it." Marco said. Star turns to face him.

"Ah, gotcha." Star takes one of the nunchucks and begins to twirl them.

"Wow, you're doing pretty good! You've never used them before?" Marco asked.

"Nope. We didn't have anything like these on Mew-." Star told him as she shrugged, flinging the nunchucks up...and hitting Marco where the sun doesn't shine. Marco let out a little yelp, crossing his legs and dropping to his knees. His face winced in pain. "Marco! I'm so sorry!" Marco raised a hand.

"It's okay. I'm fine." Marco told her in a slightly high pitched voice. He cleared his throat, trying to act all tough in front of his girlfriend. "AHEM!" He exclaimed in a deep voice.

"You don't need um...ice or...anything like that..."

"Nope! I'm…" His face squinted. "I'm good." He said with a smile, trying to hide the pain.

"...so do you think I shou-" Star asked.

"Yes, yes, you should bring them. I think you're good with those...ow..." Marco said.

"Yay!" Star said, walking out of Marco's room, twirling the nunchucks around. Marco took a step and cried very slightly. He was able to walk a little faster after a minute or two, grabbing a staff weapon beside the closet. Star ran downstairs, going towards the door. "Come on, Marco! Let's go!"

"Coming!" Marco said, making his way down the steps with a large backpack on his back, mostly recovered from the pain. The staff weapon was held by an elastic band on the bag. Star turned to Eclipsa.

"You coming, Eclipsa?" Star asked.

"Well, I would but...I'm a mother. I need to be there for my baby and if anything happened to me, I would never forgive myself. You all just run along. I think you can handle it." Eclipsa said with a smile.

"Understood. You can stay here if you'd like. I don't think Marco would mind." Star told her. Janna walked over to Star.

"Yeah, make yourself at home." He said with a smile. Eclipsa nodded.

"Hey, I brought us some transportation. It's kind of too far to walk there." Janna told her. Star turned her head.

"Really? Who'd you call?" Star said before hearing a beep outside. The trio went outside finding Tom sitting in a black sports car.

"Hey, guys!" Tom said, taking two fingers and saluting.

"Tom! You're okay!" Star said.

"Yeah. Glad to see you're okay too!" Tom said. Marco suddenly came from behind her. Marco and Tom gasped together.

"Marco?!" Tom said, jumping out of the car and running towards him.

"Hey, Tom!" Marco replied. Tom came in front of him and gave him a ginormous hug.

"Dude, I thought I would never see you again!" Tom said as he hugged him. Marco had trouble breathing.

"Same…" Marco gasped for air. "Dude, you're cutting my circulation."

"Oh...sorry." Tom chuckled as he let Marco go. "By the way, Janna told me you and Star finally got together. I'm happy for you guys." Tom said to him.

"Thanks, man. Wait, you didn't notice in the Realm of Magic?" Marco asked him.

"Well, a lot was going on so...I didn't really get the chance to notice. Plus, being in that place really messed with my mind, you know." Tom shrugged.

"True, true." Marco replied. Star walked up next to him. Marco put his arm around her. Tom smiled. He was glad that Marco finally stood up and got together with her. Even though he was broken up with Star, one thing he wanted most in the world is to see Star happy. She is his friend after all.

"So you know everything that's happened? I just want to make sure you're updated." Star asked him.

"Yeah. Janna told me. Look, you were right to say what you said to Ponyhead, Star, even though..she didn't listen to you and-" Tom started.

"Wait, how are you still okay?" Star asked.

"For some reason, people are just thinking that all this is stage makeup so I must be safe out here. It wouldn't be as easy for Ponyhead to blend in though." Tom explained, pointing at his features like his horns and one extra eyeball. Janna suddenly came through the doorway. Tom quickly turned his head to her. "Oh...hey." Janna smiled.

"Hey." Tom said as he smiled. His eyes relaxed as well as Janna's. Star and Marco watched as they stood there silently. Star grew a huge smile on her face, slightly bouncing up and down and biting her lip. Marco's eyes glanced at Star.

"Star...no" He whispered.

"But I want to-" Star started.

"Remember what happened with Miss Skullnick?"

"That was different. They were trolls. These two are human...ish." She said to him quietly.

"That doesn't apply here! They are two living things with souls okay? Same thing. Same. thing!" Marco said, keeping a straight face with her. Star shed some puppy dog eyes. Marco's eyes went wide.

"Don't you dare...no...no Star no…" Marco said, looking away.

"Look at my big blue sparkling eyes, Marco. Give in. You know you want to." Star told him temptingly, fluttering her eyes and nudging him. Marco tried keeping it together until finally, he gave up.

"Ah, fine. Don't do anything too drastic...at least you don't have magic to turn anyone into magical creatures." Marco said before Star gave him the nunchucks she was holding and walked over to Tom and Janna. Marco put the nunchucks in his pack.

"So Tom. Did you know...that Janna here...wanted to date a tentacle arm? Pretty cool, right?" Star said with giant hearts in her eyes. Tom stared blankly at them while Marco facepalmed.

"Why'd you give in, Diaz? I know the eyes were cute but why?" Marco muffled.

"Oh...uh...really? Wow." Tom said, rubbing the back of his neck. Marco decided to butt in, making sure this didn't get any worse.

"Alright then, we need to go save Ponyhead!" Marco took them all in his arms and guided them to the car parked at the side of the road. "So why don't we go in the car and-" Marco stopped. "Wait…" He glared at the car and then at Tom. "Tom?" Tom stared blankly at him.

"What?" Marco's eyes went back to the car. "Oh! Oh, the car!" Star and Janna walked over to the car.

"You stole it from the Echo Creek Car Dealership didn't you…" Marco said, knowing that Tom couldn't have possibly bought a car in such a short amount of time.

"Well...I'll bring it back! I'm borrowing it!" Tom defended himself.

"That's not the point, Tom!" Marco said before he saw Star and Janna looking at the car.

"It's so shiny!...can I drive it?" Star asked.

"No, Star!" Marco said. Star faceplanted into the hood.

"Poop." Star muffled. Marco rolled his eyes in amusement.

"Yeah, I have the keys anyw-" Tom reached in his pockets, realizing the keys weren't there. "Wait, where did-" He suddenly heard the car start.

"You guys ready or what?" Janna said, sitting at the driver's seat.

"How...did…" Tom asked. Marco patted him on the shoulder.

"Welcome to my life." Marco said before walking without even being phased at what just transpired. Tom stood there, confused.

"But...she didn't even touch me." Marco turned to face Tom again

"Dude, just...just don't ask. Let it be a mystery...it's better that way." Marco told him as he and Star walked over to the passenger seats, sitting down. Marco put his backpack at the floor. Tom shrugged and walked his way over to the driver's seat, looking at Janna. "Hey, this is _my_ car and-"

"No, it's not!" Marco said before Tom put his finger on his lip. "Wha…"

"I'm the driver. This is _my_ seat." Tom told her. Janna shrugged.

"Okay." Janna moved. Tom lifted his finger off of Marco's mouth before Marco wiped his mouth with his sweatshirt arm. He sat behind the driver's seat, dumbfounded.

"But...HOW?! I would have to give her…I don't know...part of my spleen to make her move!"

"Eh, I wouldn't about it." Janna said mysteriously, smirking. Marco went wide-eyed.

"D...do you..already have-" Marco said, pointing at her.

"No time for spleen trading! Let's go!" Star exclaimed. The car jolted, moving forward.

"Ah! Speed limit!" Marco yelled to Tom as the car sped through the streets.

* * *

The four of them found their way to the pigeon kingdom. Star walked over to a giant rock in front of the castle, motioning for the others to come over so they aren't seen by any of the pigeon folk. They observed the castle, seeing that nothing about it has changed. It still stood tall with spires sky high. Stairs surrounded the castle, going in a spiral up the towers. Still, something was a bit off about it.

"Hmmm..." Star said, thinking hard.

"What?" Marco asked.

"There's no guards around. I mean, it's a castle. There's always guards at a castle." Star replied.

"Yeah, you're right..." Tom replied. "Are we sure this isn't a trap? Because this looks sort of trappish."

"Well, judging by what I'm seeing, I don't think there are any traps set up. Heh, I should know." Janna added.

"Star? Your call." Marco said as they all turned to look at her. Star stroked her chin, pondering as to what it is they should do. Star came to a decision.

"Okay, since there's no guards and no traps, I say we just charge at them. If something comes at us. We use our weapons." Star said, holding her nunchucks. Marco took his staff and grasped it. Tom charged up his firepower. Thank goodness that isn't powered by magic. Janna...took out a bagged lunch. Star stared at it.

"Uh…Janna? That's a bagged lunch." Star said to her.

"Yes." Janna said. Star blinked.

"...why?" Star asked. Janna didn't say anything. She just opened the bag...the bag filled with spoiled tuna and moldy cheese. Everyone turned green and nausea started to hit. Marco was tearing up at the smell.

"Put it away! PUT. IT. AWAY!" Marco said. Expressionless Janna closed the bag. Everyone gasped for air. Tom was coughing.

"Let's hope you never have to open that again because…" Star got chills. "Oh, that is pungent." Star planted her foot down slightly, getting ready to charge. "You guys ready?" They all nodded.

"Let's do this." Star told them. They all stood up, running towards the castle door, yelling their way through. Nothing was in their way. Literally nothing. No traps. No guards. No...nothing. They made it to the door after a minute. They came to the door, grabbing it and trying to open it. It wouldn't budge.

"Okay, on three guys." Star said to them, getting ready to kick the door open. They all raised their legs, ready to kick it along with her.

"One…" Star said.

"Two…" Marco added.

"Three!" They all yelled together, kicking the door wide open, revealing a giant kit of pigeons. Star and the gang stood there, about to attack.

"Give us Ponyhead or else you'll face the wrath of Janna's moldy lunch!"

"Well, technically it isn't mine, but-"

"You can have her!" Rich Pigeon exclaimed, flying up from behind a crowd of pigeons. Star, Marco, Janna, and Tom let down their guard.

"Wait...what?" Star uttered.

"She won't stop talking about herself. She keeps complaining that she hasn't been given her allowance by her father and that she finds our castle drab and boring and that it should be painted purple with traces of hearts and glitter!" They could all tell Rich Pigeon has lost it.

"...well...it could use a bit of-" Marco started before Star shushed him.

"Marco!" She said, pretending to zip her lips. Ponyhead came from behind the pigeons, seeing Star and running towards her.

"OH MY GOSH STAR I'M SO SORRY I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO YOU I DIDN'T LET YOU TALK AND I WAS ONLY THINKING ABOUT MYSELF GIRL I REALLY HOPE WE CAN STILL BE FRIENDS AND GO PARTYING AND WATCH LATE NIGHT MARATHONS OF THE ADVENTURES OF THE KITTEN CLAN AND DRINK A LOT OF CORNSHAKES AND GORGE ON REALLY UNHEALTHY FOOD THAT COULD PROBABLY DESTROY MY FIGURE AND TALK ABOUT HOW BEAUTIFUL AND HUMBLE WE ARE AND GIRLLLLLLLLL I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF-"

"Woah! Pony! Breathe!" Star said, holding her hands up. Ponyhead gasped for air.

"Girl, I'm so so so so so so so so so sooooooooo sorry, okay?" She said to her.

"First off, _you're_ the only one who talks about how beautiful and humble you are." Star chuckled with a smile. Ponyhead stared blankly at her.

"...well, I can only tell the truth, okay? Lying is not looked good upon." Ponyhead said to her.

"Secondly…" Star took Ponyhead and hugged her. "Of course I forgive you. You're my best friend." She told her as they embraced.

"Aw, friends forever girl." Ponyhead replied. Everyone stared and watched.

"Yay! Friendship!" Marco exclaimed, raising his hands in the air in celebration.

"Dude, that is cheesy." Tom said to him.

"I just thought tha-...sorry." Marco chuckled, slowly bringing his hands down to his side. Star let go of Ponyhead before turning to Rich Pigeon. "Now, Mr. Rich Pigeon, why did you kidnap Ponyhead!? I mean...we were allies on Mewni! All of us were! And we still are!" Star said to him.

"I had no ill intent, Star. I only did it to seek information." Rich Pigeon told her.

"What information?!" Star started to get angry. No one kidnaps her best friend and gets away with it.

"We wanted to know where to find you! We thought that your friend could tell us but she didn't have a clue either. Our decision _was_ to keep her until she told us but she has driven us to insanity." Rich Pigeon told her. Star calmed down for a minute.

"What?W-...Why me?" Star asked, slightly concerned. Rich Pigeon walked closer to her.

"The world has changed. Everything is different. We had a feeling that magic was the reason for this and all of us thought that the best option was to find you. We brought all of our guards inside the castle for their own safety because we do not have a clue of what is out there."

"So you thought the best course of action was to kidnap my best friend and put her in a sack?!" Star asked, a bit upset.

"She was too busy admiring herself in a shop window..." Rich Pigeon said, trying to make a point.

"Doesn't matter! You don't kidnap people...or ponies!" Star sighed. "So...you want to know what happened to Mewni…"

"Yes." Rich Pigeon said. Star turned over to Marco, nudging her head, motioning for him to come over.

"So...Marco and I...merged Mewni and Earth together using magic." Star explained.

"You _merged_ Mewni and Earth? Why would you do that?!" Rich Pigeon began to freak out. "Do you not understand that could cause mayhem!?"

"Look, man. We didn't know we were going to merge our two worlds together. We just…" Marco took her hand. "We just wanted to be together."

"We were never going to see each other again because I destroyed the magic and-" Star said.

"Is that why your cheek marks are gone?" Rich Pigeon asked as Star touched her cheeks.

"Yes. We didn't mean for any of this to happen though. We just didn't want to be separated for the rest of our lives." Star added.

"Yeah, listen to them. They're in love okay. True love! You cannot break that. If you do, like, you have no heart or whatever." Ponyhead said.

"I mean...if you really loved someone...wouldn't you want to stay with them forever?" Marco asked him, man to...male pigeon. Rich Pigeon looked behind him, seeing his mother and father, King and Queen pigeon. He would hate to be separated from his family. He couldn't bear to imagine it. He turned his head to look back at Star and Marco, looking at each other with smiles on their faces. He sighed.

"I understand." Rich Pigeon said to them. Star and Marco gasped.

"You do?" Star asked.

"Yes. I have learned over the years that love is something you cannot live without, no matter what kind of love it is. I can see that you two love each other unconditionally." Star and Marco glanced at each other, grabbing each other's hand. "I wouldn't want to ever break a love like that." Marco and Star looked back at Rich Pigeon and nodded

"Thank you." Marco said. Rich Pigeon nodded back.

"Now, the question remains. What happens now?" Rich Pigeon asked.

"We'll...we'll figure it out. In the meantime, our main priority is to make sure that all mewmans, humans, and monsters get along...unfortunately, that's not what's happening right now." Star said to him, looking down at her side. "Still, we're going to try our best to fix it."

"I'll send my carrier pigeons out to the other kingdoms to tell the news. They'll have no problem finding where they are. In the meantime, we'll do what we can to help." Rich Pigeon put a wing on Star's shoulder. "Go. Enjoy this new world. Enjoy the time you two now have together." He said, putting his other wing on Marco's shoulder.

"Thank you." Star and Marco said together. Star, Marco, Ponyhead, Tom, and Janna walked out of the castle before Rich Pigeon turned to his pigeon subjects.

"I need my fastest carrier pigeons. Now!" He exclaimed.

* * *

The five of them made it back to Marco's house to catch up a bit. They were all in the kitchen with Eclipsa, eating some super awesome nachos that Marco made. He had to make a triple batch because there were so many people in his house. They all talked about everything that's happened, except for Star and Marco's date because that's obviously something private. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Huh? Who is…" Marco said, running towards the door. He opened it, revealing his parents and Mariposa.

"Hi, son!" They both said. Mariposa babbled at him. Marco gasped. A big smile went across his face.

"You're...you're here! You're actually here!" Marco said, grabbing them in a big embrace.

"Oh, Marco, we missed you so much! We have to tell you about the adventures we've had!" Rafael said. Star heard Marco's parents at the door and ran over, joining in on the hug.

"You can't leave me out of the hug!" Star said giving them a squeeze.

"Star!" Angie said, suddenly seeing her cheeks. "You're cheek marks are gone!" She asked. Star was starting to get way too used to hearing people talking about that.

"Yup! I destroyed the magic. So magic gone; cheek marks gone." Star shrugged.

"Well, we're so glad to see both of you." Angie said. Rafael looked over Star and Marco's shoulders to see Tom, Janna, and Eclipsa.

"And I see you brought some friends." Rafael said.

"Yeah, just a few." Marco chuckled.

"Oh, we also brought a friend! Remember how I told someone was taking care of us while we were in the woods?" Angie asked them.

"Oh...uh, yeah!" Marco replied.

"Well, we brought her with us!" Rafael said. Angie and Rafael moved aside, revealing a girl with curly orange hair and fair skin, wearing a yellow and lavender dress with white ruffles.

"Hello." She said.

Star and Marco gasped. They were too shocked to speak.

"I...uh...Star...is that…"

Star stood there, not believing who was in front of her.

"...Skywynne?"

**_Psst...if you guys haven't gotten the Magic Book of Spells, I recommend buying it because I am tieing it in with my story! If you can't get it, I would look up who Skywynne is on the Star Vs. wiki page!_ **


	6. Starshine

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Starshine**

"How do you know my name exactly?" Skywynne said in a posh accent. Star couldn't believe that Skywynne, The Queen of Hours, one of her favorite queens _ever_ , was standing right in front of her. How was this possible? Star saw her ghost form while destroying the magic. She couldn't possibly be here!

"Oh um...yeah it was just a lucky guess. There's lots of people here named Skywynne." Star chuckled, nervously. Marco raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, no there isn-" Marco started to say before Star elbowed him. "Ow! Uh, yeah! Yeah, I know a few people with that name." He said to her, rubbing his arm. Marco's parents started to walk near the stairs.

"Well, we are going to go up to our room and get some sleep. Sleeping on rocks and wood was not comfortable." Rafael told them.

"We'll let you three get acquainted." Angie said as they both walked upstairs. A litter of laser puppies followed them up.

"Laser puppies! We've missed you!" They both said in the distance. Star and Marco rolled their eyes in amusement before looking back at Skywynne.

"Marco Diaz by the way." Marco said, reaching his hand out to shake Skywynne's.

"Nice to meet you. Skywynne Butterfly." She replied with a smile, taking his hands and shaking it. Star jumped a bit hearing her last name.

"And I'm Star B-" She hesitated to say her last name. "Uh…" She debated whether she should even say her last name. She decided to keep it secret, just to be safe. "Uh...Star…" She looked around the house for anything that started with the letter B. She looked on the kitchen seeing some items on the table. "Star Bubblegum! Star Bubblegum." Star said as she reached her hand out for a handshake as well.

"Wait, wha-?" Marco said quietly under his breath.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Star." Skywynne said to her. She looked past them, observing the house. "Uh...can I come in?" She said, pointing behind them.

"Oh! Yes!" Star said as she and Marco moved aside. Skywynne walked in, looking around the house. Marco shed a straight face. He leaned his head closer to Star.

"Star, what was that about..." Marco asked her.

"Huh? What?" Star shrugged.

"Bubblegum…really…" Marco said, crossing his arms.

"Look, I don't trust her. What if she isn't actually Skywynne? What if...she's some sort of illusion or evil villain in disguise?" Star asked.

"I uh...don't think she is, Star. She seems pretty nice to me." Marco replied.

"Doesn't matter, Marco! Even if she _is_ Skywynne, if I told her I was a Butterfly, who knows what would happen! She can't know I'm part of the royal family, whether she is my ancestor or not." Star said. Marco thought about Star's words and sighed.

"You're right. Speaking of 'royal family'…" Marco pointed to Skywynne, walking around the living room. "How?!" He said quietly.

"Trust me, I'm wondering the same thing." She said, watching Skywynne. "She shouldn't be here. She died hundreds of years ago. Like, how is she standing there?!" Star wondered as they both watched Skywynne take a look at some photographs hanging from the wall.

"Yeah...you don't think she's a ghost or something, do you?" Marco asked, getting creeped out.

"I...don't know." They noticed Skywynne make her way to the kitchen. Tom, Janna, Ponyhead, and Eclipsa were still sitting around the kitchen counter eating some nachos before Eclipsa turned her head, seeing Skywynne standing there.

The nacho in her hand dropped.

She couldn't believe it. She was as stiff as stone. Star and Marco took notice to it.

"Oh no." Marco said. They ran into the kitchen, making sure nothing goes awry.

"Hello, everyone. I'm uh...Skywynne." Skywynne told everybody. They all turned to her. Eclipsa gasped hearing her name. She stood there absolutely dumbfounded. She suddenly pretended to act nonchalant like she didn't even know who she is, taking a breath and trying not to freak out.

"Hey." Janna said

"Sup." Tom added.

"Hi." Ponyhead said as she typed on her new cell phone.

Eclipsa said nothing. She was too shocked to say anything. She grew pale. Skywynne got concerned for her.

"Um, miss? Are you feeling okay?" Skywynne asked. Eclipsa didn't say a word. Star and Marco intervened, putting their hands on her shoulders, leading her out of the room and outside to the backyard.

"Pfft, oh yeah! She's fine!" Star said to her, acting like there's nothing wrong.

"She just needs a little sunshine. She's got a uh...health condition!" Marco said.

"Yeah! Yeah, a health condition. She needs a certain amount of sun every day! She's basically like a plant. I don't think she got enough of it so we're just going to head outside for a second." Star added. Everyone looked at her like they lost their minds.

"We'll be right back!" Marco chuckled nervously, opening the door to the backyard and walking outside, closing the door behind them. Eclipsa felt dizzy. She leaned a hand against the wall, looking down at her feet. She then looked back up at Star and Marco.

"Star, is that-" Eclipsa asked.

"Yes. Yes it is and no. I don't know how she's here either." Star replied.

"We're in the same boat as you." Marco added. Eclipsa tried her best to wrap her head around this situation.

"...what do we do?"

"Hmmm...this calls for a super casual not so obvious interrogation." Star said. Marco raised an eyebrow.

"I uh...don't know what that means." Marco said to her.

"We try to figure out why she's here and how she's here without making it seem like we're suspicious...get what I'm laying down?" Star said, smirking.

"Oooohhh yeah...like detectives. I gotcha." Marco said, grinning along with her. "Hey, I've always wanted to be a detective." He chuckled. Star giggled at him, thinking of how adorable that would be to see Marco in a long coat and fedora. Realizing she was spacing out, she focused once again.

"We'll figure out what's going on, Eclipsa. I promise. In the meantime, let's enjoy the fact that we get to talk to one of our ancestors of the past. Well, actually she's your...ancestor but-" Star stopped talking, seeing Eclipsa looking down at the ground with a frown.

"Eclipsa?" Star said.

"She's more than just an ancestor. She's...my grandmother."

"Wait, really? Now I get why you reacted the way you did." Marco said.

"Honestly, if I saw my grandmother again I would be acting the same way." Star added. Eclipsa nodded before continuing.

"My mother would tell me about her and how she admired my grandmother. She died at the hands of a monster when my mother was very young, similar to how my mother died in a monster ambush when I was about the same age. It's why she was so invested in battles and war tactics and getting rid of every single monster in existence. She…" She took a deep breath. "She wanted revenge." Eclipsa told them. "But...there was no war when my grandmother was killed. She did seize some monster territory which may have been the reason she was slain at the hands of a monster, but there was no battle. My mother took the whole situation entirely out of proportion, thinking that all monsters behaved in this way, when in reality, that was not true." Although Star knew that what Solaria perceived about monsters was wrong, she understood her pain to a certain point. Moon went through the same situation, so much that she used dark magic on Toffee because of what he did. Eclipsa continued.

"Then, why didn't you end up that way?" Marco asked.

"I wanted to change Mewni's ways and unite mewmans and monsters. I felt that war against the monsters was the reason this all happened and that I knew that not every monster was evil...like Globgor, for example. He showed me that kindness can be found in any living thing." Eclipsa looked down at the ground. "My mother saw monsters as nothing but traitors and filled with hate. I see nothing but love in their hearts." Eclispa sighed. Star shed a slight frown.

"You need a minute?" Star asked, wondering if she wanted some alone time.

"Oh, no. I'm alright. It's just strange...still living my life with my family after being crystallized for 300 years. Everyone I knew and loved is gone." She looked to the sky. "I might have been living this new life for almost a year but...it's something I'm still getting used to." Eclipsa looked at Star. "Don't worry about me, sweetie. I'll be fine. I was just in a bit of a shock."

"Well, as long as you're okay, that's what matters." Star told her.

"Yeah, we'll figure out what's going on." Marco said. "Think of it this way. This might be your one and only chance to bond with your grandmother. I would take advantage of it." Marco told her. Eclipsa smiled, realizing this could be a good thing. It would be a good opportunity to learn from the queens of the past.

"You're right." Eclipsa took a deep breath. "Well, we should get back inside. I'd rather not have people concern over us." She said to them. They all walked inside, seeing Skywynne sitting on the floor, messing with the television in the living room.

"This box...is it filled with magic?" Skywynne asked as Star, Marco and Eclipsa stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "I'm using the wand that comes with it. It's fascinating! Moving pictures...wow." She said, holding up the TV remote.

"No. Uh...actually, this is a TV and that is the TV remote." Marco said, gesturing for her to hand the remote to him.

"Strange. How does it get its magic?" Skywynne asked as she stood up from the floor and walked over to the couch, sitting down. "This should have magic but for some reason...it just doesn't." She said as she took out something from behind her that made the three of them gasp.

A magic wand.

"I'm sure my wand isn't damaged." Skywynne said as she sat down on the couch, shaking it near her ears, wondering if something was loose. She turned to look at the trio. "Do the three of you happen to know anything about magic?" Star, Marco, and Eclipsa stood stiff. They didn't know what to say. Do they say yes? Do they say no? They had no idea what to say! They were silent for a few seconds until one of them spoke.

"I might...uh...know a few things about it." Marco uttered. Star and Eclipsa gasped, then glared at him. He just gave away a bit.

"Oh! Wonderful! I'm glad I'm not the only one around here. Tell me...what _do_ you know by chance?" She asked him.

"Well, um...I know how to create kitten bombs…" Marco told her. Skywynne shed a blank stare.

"Kitten bombs?" Star asked, crossing her arms.

"I'll uh...tell you about it later." Marco told her, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Huh...well, you don't know what happened to the magic, do you?...why it's gone?" Skywynne said. Marco glanced at Star, seeing her staring him down. He knew what that look meant; don't say what happened. Marco looked back at Skywynne.

"Not a clue." He shrugged.

"That's...too bad. I have a lot of spells I've wanted to share." Skywynne said as she took a folded piece of paper out of a hidden pocket in her dress. Marco got on his tip-toes, trying to read the spells on the paper as she unfolded it.

"Can I see?" Marco asked. Star raised an eyebrow as she watched him.

"Of course! Skywynne replied as she patted next to her on the sofa. Marco sat down. Star watched as he became so _incredibly_ interested in Skywynne's magic. "So I have this spell that makes food fall from the sky and-" She told him as she showed Marco the piece of paper.

"That's...really cool! So you could make nachos fall from the sky? Oh, or...or horchata? Wait, no hold on...rain-chata...see what I did there?" Marco said. Star facepalmed.

"Ummm...yes! Yes." Skywynne replied, pretending she knew what in the world a horchata is. She looked back at her piece of paper. Star kept on watching the two of them as they talked. A feeling suddenly grew inside of her. It wasn't a good feeling either. Marco was never this interested in Star's magic before when she still had it. A feeling of jealousy came through her. "I also have this spell that raises the dead..." Eclipsa lit up.

"May I take a look? That is, if you don't mind." Eclipsa asked as Skywynne gestured for her to sit on the other side of her. Star's jealousy grew a bit stronger. They were suddenly starting to get closer with Skywynne...especially Marco. She's seen this happen before in sitcoms; when someone would upstage another and then the other person would be betrayed. The fact that they all literally just met this woman and that about 15 or so minutes later they're stuck to her like glue made her concerned.

"Man, this is so cool!" Marco exclaimed Star gasped.

"Huh?" Star said to herself. That's how Marco usually reacts to her magic. Star started to worry. Could Skywynne's magic be cooler than Star's magic ever was? Star couldn't let this happen. She didn't want to lose any friends or boyfriends tonight. Besides, she wasn't even sure this was the real Skywynne anyway. The three of them leaned closer to the paper as Star crossed her arms, trying to think of an idea as to how to distract them. She snapped her fingers.

"Got it." Star muttered.

* * *

Star ran into the kitchen for a quick minute before coming back, balancing a tower of chips on her head as she juggled 4 laser puppies.

"Hey, guys! Did you know I could balance 40 nachos on my head while juggling? I bet you didn't!" Star said with a bright smile. They didn't even look at her. They were all just talking to each other.

"Wait, you exploded...a dimension?!" Marco asked with his hands on his mouth in complete shock.

"Yes...but don't worry! It was only fluorescent worms but, yes." Skywynne said.

"Oh...poor worms." Eclipsa said before they all started laughing. Star caught all the puppies in her arms and the nachos fell off her head. She glared at them and grumbled before going upstairs.

* * *

An hour passed. She came back down, holding a psychology book, wearing glasses, and sporting a sweater vest, thinking that this would make Marco laugh.

"This'll get him." Star said to herself before coming out from behind a wall, pointing her finger.

"Dr. Star! Ph. D!" Star exclaimed loudly. Marco, Eclipsa, and Skywynne were standing in the middle of the living room doing some choreography.

"So I think it should be like this…" Marco was on his tip-toes. "...then this…" He started twirling. "And _then_...Warnicorn Stampede." He told Skywynne as he held a hairbrush, lifting it up. Star gasped as she dropped her book.

"Ooo, I really like that! Thank you, Marco!" Skywynne replied.

"But...Marco didn't help _me_ with that spell…" Star said. The jealousy kept on growing. She became a little choked up as she walked out of the living room, back upstairs.

* * *

Another few hours went by. The sun was setting. Star came into the kitchen holding her phone that was playing music as well as two pieces of paper in her other hand.

"Marco! Look! Love Sentence is going on a 'new worldwide' tour and I got us some tickeeeeetttts!" Star told him, waving some tickets in her hands. She had a feeling this would get his attention. Unfortunately, again, no one even paid a slight bit of attention to her. Marco, Skywynne, Eclipsa, Ponyhead, and Tom were in the kitchen, cooking up some food. Skywynne held a plate of nachos in her hands.

"Alright, how'd I do?" Skywynne asked, putting the nachos on the countertop. Marco took a nacho and bit into it. His eyes beamed.

"Wow, Skywynne! These might be better than mine! I taught you well, grasshopper." Marco said as he bowed like he was a nacho sensei. Skywynne bowed back. Star gasped.

"Yeah, girl! Those are hot!...no really, they just burnt my mouth." Ponyhead said before they all laughed together. Star's eyes grew wide and watery.

"Marco...taught her how to make sup-...sup…" Star was about to break down. Her friends betraying her was one thing. Now she felt as if she lost Marco.

Marco then gave Skywynne a congratulatory hug.

Star gasped.

She dropped her phone to the ground, hearing a crack of the screen.

Marco heard the phone hit the floor, letting go of Skywynne. He turned his head, seeing Star standing there.

"Oh, hey Star! Wanna join us? We're making na-" Marco started. He noticed Star was turning pale. "...Star? You okay?"

"No! I don't want to join you guys!" Star exclaimed. Marco took a cautionary step back. " _You're_ having enough fun with _her_ as it is so there's no need for me to even be here right now!" Star yelled, pointing at Skywynne. "You all just take your magic and your spells and forget about me!" A tear ran down Star's cheek. Star shed an angry face and walked out of the kitchen, throwing the Love Sentence tickets away from her. Marco's mouth gaped. He didn't know what to do. Everyone turned to look at him. They were all silent. Not even the crickets were chirping outside. He stood there, frozen.

"I'll...be right back." Marco asked, confused. He sighed before running out of the kitchen, following Star.

* * *

"Star? Staaar!" Marco called, trying to figure out what was upsetting Star so bad. He opened the door to his room, taking a peek inside.

"You in here?" There was no sign of her. He went over to the bathroom door and knocked on it, just in case she was in there. Nothing was heard. He opened the door, seeing she wasn't there either. "Star?" Suddenly, he heard sniffling coming from the hallway. He walked out into the hallway over to the guest room...well, destroyed guest room. He leaned his ear on the door, hearing someone cry on the other side.

"There she is." Marco began to turn the knob before hearing a voice.

"What's wrong with me?" Star asked herself in a shaky voice.

"What?" Marco uttered to himself. Star was in the room talking to one of the laser puppies.

"I can't compare to Skywynne." Star said to herself as she pet the puppy. "She has magic...and I don't. She's got better spells...and I can't even conjure them. Now that I don't have magic anymore, everyone is just ignoring me." She looked at the puppy. "Maybe magic was the only thing that mattered to people. Everything else to do with me is just a bunch of nothing." Star said. The puppy nuzzled into Star's stomach.

"Maybe magic was the only reason Marco...loved me." Star said before putting her hands on her face, crying her eyes out.

Marco's heart broke.

Marco let go of the doorknob. He was in shock.

"What have I done…" Marco said, holding his hands on his mouth.

"You messed things up with your girlfriend." Tom said from behind him. Marco yelped.

"Tom! Man, you scared me." Marco told him as he rested his hands on his knees, trying to slow his heartbeat a bit from the scare.

"Oh...uh…sorry. I just thought you didn't know what you-" Tom replied.

"No, no, it's okay. I got it. I just...I can't believe I was so stupid." Marco said, absolutely angry at himself. He sighed. His hands turned into fists. "How could I have been such an awful boyfriend to her? I treated her like she's invisible! I was only hanging out with Skywynne a lot so I could figure out if she was actually the real Skywynne or not! It wasn't to replace Star at all! I mean...ahh!" Marco got frustrated, leaning against the wall next to the door and closing his eyes.

"So...you're just going to stand there then?" Tom asked leaning against the other wall, playing with his necklace. Marco opened his eyes and glanced at Tom.

"What?" Marco muttered.

"What I mean is...are you going to just let this go on…" Tom let go of his necklace and looked up at Marco. "...or are you going to fix it?" Tom asked with a confident smile. "Because if I know anything about my best friend, he wouldn't back down from anything. Am I right?" Marco stared straight at the wall, thinking about Tom's words.

"...you're right." Marco said quietly.

"Marco Diaz wouldn't just walk away, would he?" Tom asked him.

"Huh? No!" Marco said a little louder.

"So what are you going to do then?!" Tom asked him.

"...I can fix this." Marco said to himself.

"I'm sorry I didn't hear you." Tom said, smirking as he continued to give him a little more confidence. He held a hand up to his ear.

"I can fix this." Marco said a little louder.

"Say that again?" Tom said.

"I can fix thi-!" Marco exclaimed before Tom put his hand on Marco's mouth.

"Dude, she'll hear you!" He exclaimed in a whisper.

"Oh...right." Marco muffled under Tom's hand before he lifted it off of Marco's mouth.

"I'm going to help you in any way I can. I can't stand seeing the two of you like this." Tom told him as he put his hand on Marco's shoulder.

"Thanks." Marco replied. "Alright. I need something that really shows Star how I feel about her; something that really how much I care. Okay, what to do...what to-" Marco paced back and forth, looking at the ground. Suddenly, Marco got an idea. He looked determined, snapping his fingers.

"Follow me."

* * *

Marco went into his room, walked over to his desk, and opened one of the drawers, taking out a folded piece of paper from it. Tom walked into the room, seeing Marco grab a pencil from the top of the desk and begin writing on it. Tom could hear Marco mumbling every once in a while.

"What's this?" Tom asked as he looked at the paper. His eyes grew wide with shock. "Dude, did you write this?"

"I wrote this about a year ago. I just hadn't finished it yet." Marco said, writing a little more until he put down his pencil. "Until now." Marco lifted the piece of paper off of his desk and held it up so they could both read it. Tom's mouth gaped.

"This...is probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen from you." Tom said. "If this doesn't work I'm really going to question reality."

"Heh, I hope it does…" Marco said. His face shed a sudden frown. "I am _not_ going to lose her." He added. He suddenly took his hand and lightly tapped his face. "Come on, snap out of it, Diaz." Marco told himself as his face grew confident. He turned around to look Tom.

"Alright. We're gonna need to make a phone call."

* * *

Star sat in the backyard, wrapped up in a pink blanket, watching the stars twinkle brightly in the sky. She couldn't cry anymore. She was completely out of tears. Star felt so conflicted; anger, sadness, fear...everything. She couldn't keep her thoughts straight. She just wanted to let out all her emotions at that moment.

"Ahhh! I hate this!" Star said, putting her face in her knees, sighing. "I don't want to lose Marco. I don't even care if my friends don't ever want to talk to me anymore. I just want Marco with me again." A shooting star went across the sky. Star stood up, watching it.

"You hear that, shooting star?!" Star exclaimed. "I just want Marco to love me again! If anything just give me that! Is that too hard!? I've been through enough as it is!" Star reached up towards the sky. "P-please..." Star held her stomach as she cried, dropping to her knees. It turned out she had some tears left in her after all.

Suddenly, she heard a guitar play. Star lifted her head, wiping her face of her tears.

"What the-" Star muttered.

Voices began to sing. Star turned around…

Love Sentence was in the backyard.

"...whaaaaaaaaaaat…" Star said to herself. Love Sentence is in her backyard. Was she dreaming? She wasn't sure. She pinched herself. "Ow!" Nope. She wasn't dreaming. They were in her backyard for sure. The only thing she wondered was why they were here? Like...how? And...where is the guitar coming from? She wondered about this for a second...

...until she saw Marco walk into the backyard, playing a guitar. Star's eyes lit up.

"M...Marco?" Star called.

"Um...hey." He waved at her. "So I...uh...have something to tell you." Marco said with a smile before looking at his guitar, strumming the strings. The members of Love Sentence created background vocals. Marco then looked back into Star's eyes.

He began to sing.

_I remember the moment when I first met you_

_You walked into my life and I was thinking_

_Who's this girl_

_This amazing girl_

Star held her hands to her mouth, gasping with a smile on her face.

_You can brighten everybody's rainy day_

_You are beautiful in every single way_

_Because you're so great and I just couldn't wait to say…_

_to you..._

_You are my starshine_

_You keep me smiling every day and night_

_No one will take you away from me_

_You mean this big new world to me_

_Never think that I will leave your side_

_There is absolutely nothing that you should hide_

_Because I love you and that will never change_

_You are my starshine_

_And you'll always be mine._

Star began to cry the happiest tears.

_Don't think that's all because there's more to tell_

_You're full of joy and hope and that's so swell_

_You're so sweet…_

_So sweet_

_You've got hair like silk and blue eyes so gleaming_

_And I just think, "Man am I dreaming?"_

_Because right then, from the very start_

_You captured my big heart._

Marco booped her nose with his free hand.

"Boop." Marco said. Star giggled as he continued to sing.

_You are my starshine_

_You keep me smiling every day and night_

_No one will ever take you away from me_

_You mean this big new world to me_

_Never think that I will leave your side_

_There is absolutely nothing that you should hide_

_Because I love you and that will never change_

_You are my starshine_

_And you'll always be mine._

Marco dropped to his knees in front of Star, continuing to play.

_Magic is cool but not as cool as you_

_You can't get rid of me_

_We're stuck like glue_

_Nothing and no one will ever replace..._

_...you..._

Marco kissed the top of her forehead.

_You are my starshine_

_You keep me smiling every day and night_

_No one will ever take you away from me_

_You mean this big new world to me_

_Never think that I will leave your side_

_There is absolutely nothing that you should hide_

Star shifted a little closer to him.

_Because I love you and that will never change_

_You are my starshine_

_And you'll always be mine._

They looked into each other's eyes as Marco finished his song.

_You are my starshine_

_You are my starshine_

_And you'll always be mine._

Marco stopped playing as Love Sentence stopped singing. Star sat there on the grass, tearing up as she kept that song in her mind. Never in her life has anyone done this for her. She didn't have any words. She wanted that song stuck in her head for all eternity. Marco took the guitar off of him and placed it at his side. He took his hands and caressed Star's face.

"Star...don't you _ever_...think that anything or anyone...will replace you. Okay?" Marco told her as Star's breath jittered. She took her palms and held Marco's hands. "Honestly, who cares about magic? Magic doesn't define a person." Marco continued.

"But...mistakes do...and...and-." Star said, crying even more, thinking about everything she's done in the past few days that have affected people. She wished she was a person who could do no wrong.

"Hey, you are the most amazing person I know and...you are _so_ special to me." Marco told her as he wiped a tear from her cheek. "And none of it is because of magic or spells or...whatever! It's because of _you_." Marco said, pointing to her heart. "Mistakes don't make a person who they are either. You define who you are. That's what I love about you." He then took the same hand and stroked Star's hair. "I love your smile...your heart…" He sniffled. "I love every single thing about you." Marco started tearing up a little bit too. "I love you more than you could _ever_ imagine, Star" Marco said with a shaky voice. Star and Marco leaned their foreheads together. Star sniffled once more.

"Thank you..." Star said to him. Marco lifted his head a bit. Star noticed he was waiting for something. "Oh...sorry. I love you too." She told him. They chuckled before leaning in to give each other a kiss. It lasted for a good minute. She pulled her head back to look at Marco. "Oh, Marco…"

"Huh?"

"Why didn't you tell me you knew how to play the guitar _and_ sing like that?" Star chuckled. She was completely surprised by that.

"Riiight you didn't hear me at the talent show…yeah, I can sing. The guitar's more of a hidden talent, I guess. I wrote the song too. It was from a year ago." Marco explained as he took the folded piece of paper out of his pocket. Star grabbed it immediately, reading it. She looked up with her mouth gaped

"Wait, hold up. You held onto this song for a year?" Star asked with a smile.

"Yeah...um...I was saving it if ever we...you know...got together. I told you I felt like this since the beginning, right?" Marco asked with a smile.

"Yeah...you did." Star replied as they gazed into each other's eyes again. Marco wasn't kidding. He had been in love with her for this long.

"Oh, hey, listen. I have to tell you what I found out about Skywynne." Marco said.

"Speaking of that, what was that all about for the past few days?"

"Pfft, intel, of course. I thought hanging out with her would help us answer some questions we have about her." Marco said to her.

"Oooooooohhhhhhh." Star said, finally understanding what was going on.

"She really is a cool person once you get to know her. I feel like you two would get along great if you gave her a chance. I mean...she is your great...something...grandma after all. Well, I mean not biologically but you know what I mean." Marco chuckled.

"Yeah, you got a point." Star chuckled.

"Anyway, I found out some information from Eclipsa. Let me tell you, she told me a lot…"

"Aaaaand?" Star wondered where Marco was getting at. Marco looked to his side.

"Skywynne matched a lot of what Eclipsa told me...pretty much to the letter." He looked up at Star. "Star...I think she's the real deal."

"Okay...so...do you think-"

"You should tell her you're a Butterfly? Honestly, it would help us figure out how she got here."

"...you sure about this?" Star asked. Marco nodded.

"You guys are so cute together, man." Justin Towers, the lead member of Love Sentence asked. Star and Marco turned their bodies instantly to face them.

"Justtiiiinnnn Towwwerrrsss." Star whispered under her breath. She was ready to drool. Marco laughed at her. He stood up, helped Star up and then guided her over to them.

"Justin...uh...guys...I'd like you guys to meet my girlfriend, Star." Marco said. Star was as stiff as a rock.

"Nice to meet you, Star." Justin said, holding out her hand. Star moved her arm up to shake his hand, almost like a robot. Star gently grabbed his hand and started shaking.

"Marco...he's touching me…" Star said in a monotone voice and gigantic sparkling eyes. Marco rolled his eyes in amusement.

"Thanks for helping me out. You really saved our relationship here." Marco said to them.

"Hey, anything for one of our biggest fans." He told him as he let go of Star's hand. Marco smiled. "...you do owe us $650 though."

"Oh yeah." Marco said as he handed Justin a stack of money from his pocket.

"Well, we should be off. We have a 'New Worldwide' tour to start a few hours away. See you around, Diaz." Justin said to him as he and the band walked over to the door to the fence. Star was still in a daze. Marco put his arm around her, leaning his head on hers.

"Woah...his sweat's on my hand." Star said as she lifted her moist hand to look at it.

"Ew." Marco said before they both looked over at the door leading inside, seeing Tom, Janna, Ponyhead, Eclipsa and Skywynne looking through it. Marco did a double take, lifting his head up.

"We're...we're you guys watching the entire time!?" Marco asked them as they all walked outside. Ponyhead was crying hard.

"Earth Turd my heeeeaaarrrttt!. That song was so beautifuuuul! Like, my heart is gushing but like, not really because that would be gross." Ponyhead exclaimed. Star and Marco rolled their eyes with a smile.

"Thanks Ponyhead." Marco said

"No seriously my heart is like, going to figuratively explode out of my body" Ponyhead added. She started crying on Marco's shoulder, wiping her rainbow tears on his sweatshirt.

"Alright, Pony. Calm down." Marco said, patting her head.

"So...all of you guys knew about this?" Star asked them.

"Yeah. Star, you're such a great friend to us. We're never going to abandon you like that." Tom told her.

"Yeah, like, think of it like being you know, glued to you with super glue or something." Ponyhead added. Skywynne suddenly came from behind the group, standing in front of Star. Star froze. Skywynne hesitated to speak, feeling a bit guilty.

"Star, I had no idea I was interfering with your relationship with Marco. I am so sorry for what I've done." She told Star before giving her a light hug. "Please accept my apology." Star stayed still for a minute before taking her hands and patting her on the back.

"No...I'm sorry…"

"For what? You did nothing wrong." Skywynne said as she let go of Star. Star shook her head.

"No. I lied to you." Star said to her. Skywynne gasped. "My name...isn't Star Bubblegum…"

"I'm sorry?" Skywynne stood there, confused.

"My name...is Star Butterfly."


	7. Secrets of the Past

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Secrets of the Past**

"So...you're a Butterfly but...from the future?" Skywynne asked Star.

"Kind of...it's a long story. There was an adopted Butterfly somewhere in the timeline so like, I'm technically a butterfly but at the same time I'm not...but that's a story for another day." Star said to her.

"Oh. Well, how exciting! I never thought I would meet a future queen." Skywynne replied as she, Star, and the rest of the gang sat around the kitchen table while Marco stood by the oven, wearing a chef's hat.

"Actually, I'm not a queen. I mean, I was for 4 days but I gave it all up. That's _another_ story for another day." Star said. She didn't exactly want to tell what happened, knowing that Eclipsa hadn't told Skywynne who she was yet. Star thought that perhaps she should respect her wishes. Once Marco heard the oven beep, he put on a pair of oven mitts on his hands, opened the oven door, and took out a tray with some delicious Mexican food on it. Marco put the food on a large plate and brought it over to the table, putting it down in the middle of it.

"Here you go, guys! Some homemade taquitos." Marco said, bowing, proud of his culinary masterpiece. They all took a taquito in their hands.

"Ooo, it's like a mini burrito." Star chuckled as Marco sat down in the chair next to her. "So cute!" She bit into it, happily moaning as she enjoyed the taste. Ponyhead stared at it before turning to Marco.

"Taco whato now?" Ponyhead wondered.

"Taquito, Ponyhead. It's a Mexican dish." Marco told her.

"Well...these tacatios are really good." Tom told him.

"Yes. They are quite delicious, actually." Eclipse added

"TA. QUI. TOS." Marco said, correcting their pronunciation. He took a bite into one of the taquitos, making a huge smile. "Oh man, when I open a restaurant, I'm going to be BIG!" Marco exclaimed. Star giggled at him before looking over at Skywynne, seeing her staring off into space. Star put a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, this might be..um...a lot for you, I'm sure." Skywynne snapped out of it.

"Oh, no, no, no...this...explains a lot, actually." Skywynne said, looking down.

"Huh?" Marco muttered.

"How so?" Eclipsa asked.

"See, I was trying to figure out why my home changed so much and why I can't perform any magic. I-" Skywynne hesitated. "Okay, I am about to tell you something that I can't divulge to anyone else. Can I trust all of you to keep this a secret?" Ske asked, anxious to spill the beans.

"Yes. We won't tell anyone anything. Right guys?" Star asked everyone else in the room.

"Hey, you know me girl. I keep secrets all the time. You know that's how I am. I'm just so trustworthy." Ponyhead told her.

"In...other words, you can trust us." Tom said.

"All of us." Marco added as he took off his chef's hat and oven mitts. He placed them on the table and sat in the empty chair next to Star. Everyone nodded except for Janna, who was using her cell phone and wasn't even paying attention. "Right, Janna?" Marco asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Go ahead." Janna replied. Marco rolled his eyes before Skywynne took a deep breath, gained some confidence, and began to explain her situation.

"Alright...well...it all started back at Butterfly Castle. I was in my bedroom, practicing my spells for my upcoming third magic evaluation as queen." Skywynne told them.

"Wait, _you_ had evaluations too...and there weren't just one?!" Star asked.

"Yes. I say, they are not fun." Skywynne replied.

"Just one question." Marco said, raising his hand. He put it down after a second. "Why so many evaluations? I've seen one and let me tell you; they make you feel really uneasy." Marco said.

"Well, ever since one past queen did not handle her magic so well, these evaluations were made so we are all kept in check." Skywynne explained.

"Let me guess...Soupina the Strange." Star responded with a straight face.

"Yes, h-how did you know?" Skywynne wondered.

"Lucky guess. I've heard a thing or two about her." Star told her.

"Yeah, I've heard she's, like, crazy." Ponyhead said.

"Well, I haven't heard much about her either. As I was saying, it is my third year as queen so it is customary that I be evaluated on my magic use. Also, yes, the evaluator scares me to bits." Skywynne replied.

"I know right? Baby can be a biiiiit creepy." Star told her.

"Anyway, back to what happened." Skywynne reminded them. A flashback suddenly began to start.

"Oooooo flashback time!" Star exclaimed, bouncing in her chair.

"Did I mention flashbacks make me sick?" Tom said, trying his best to hold it all in.

* * *

"Alright...I need to concentrate. Come on, Skywynne." Skywynne told herself as she held her wand away from herself with both hands, ready to conjure a spell. In front of her was an apple placed on a table in the middle of the room. She heard that one spell she would need to master for this evaluation was to grow a tree from said apple. Simple enough right? Well, not for Skywynne. She was having some difficulty coming up with a spell that could do such a thing.

The kingdom of Mewni was fairly new after the whole dragon-cycle disaster during Skywynne's coronation. It destroyed a lot of Butterfly castle so quite a bit of it had to be rebuilt during the reign of Skywynne's mother, Lyric the Airborne, while she was queen. During this time, the castle only had three towers, mainly due to the fact that a spell hasn't been created that could rebuild something that has been destroyed. The town below was bustling with traders, merchants, and vendors of all kinds. There were kids running around playing cornball and folks outside their homes gardening and taking in the sunshine. The kingdom was running quite smoothly with Skywynne as queen.

Skywynne's bedroom was very classy, almost like a Victorian Era style like that on Earth. Her room bore a color scheme of whites and daisy yellow, with tall windows letting in the extravagant sunlight. Her bed was draped with lace-trimmed sheets, a sheer fabric canopy on the top of it, and had a stuffed brown bear sitting on the mattress. Near the window stood a wooden vanity with an ottoman in front of it. A piece of paper laid on the desktop with a quill and ink next to it. On her wall were pictures of her with her family and a few friends as well as some pieces of paper with some notes regarding royal duties and such. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Skywynne?" A voice called from the other side of her door. Skywynne shed an annoyed look.

"Sorry! I'm a little busy at the moment!" She called out. "Now, let's see." Skywynne took a deep breath, squinting her one eye. "Particle momentum sparkle stream!" Skywynne said as the magic beamed from her wand to the apple. Her mother opened the door.

"Honey!" Lyric exclaimed, wearing a peach colored dress with a hoop skirt. Her brown hair was curled, making her head look a bit big. On her cheeks bore light blue clouds. She held a handkerchief with an 'L' embroidered into it in one hand and a white lace fan in her other. Skywynne and Lyric watched as the apple exploded into a heap of lavender colored glitter. Skywynne's arms drooped. Lyric thought it would be best not to say anything about that. She pretended as if she didn't see anything.

"Hmm...so...how are your spells coming along, my dear?" Lyric asked as she walked into her room. Skywynne turned her head to her mom.

"And why are you asking that question?." Skywynne said, raising an eyebrow as she walked over to her vanity. She took her quill and crossed out 'Particle Momentum Sparkle Stream' on it. "Also, why are you here? What happened to your vacation home?" She asked her.

"Oh, it's under renovations." Lyric told her.

"Renovations?" Skywynne repeated.

"Alright, some lava might have burnt down the west hall...but that's all." Lyric told her. "Anyway, one of the mail squires were going to bring you some news but I thought it would be in your best interest if I tell you and...well, you aren't going to like hearing what I have to say."

"Well, my day is already difficult enough as it is so you may as well tell me." Skywynne told her before mumbling to herself. Lyric could tell that Skywynne was struggling with her magic spells. She sat on Skywynne's bed.

"It came to pass that Baby had to...um...move your evaluation a day earlier than planned." Skywynne jolted her head.

"WHAT?! But...that's today!" Skywynne exclaimed as she started to get overworked.

"I know. I know. I was a bit distressed to hear it as well." Lyric added.

"What business does that cat...um...thing...have that is more important than my evaluation?! I mean, this is of royal importance!" Skywynne wondered.

"She said she had an important meeting with the magical high commission. Unfortunately, I don't know the details as to why." Lyric explained to her. Skywynne walked over to her bed and face-planted right onto it, next to where her mother was sitting. Skywynne groaned as Lyric patted her daughter on the back for comfort.

"Would you like some help with your magic spells? I see you're struggling just a tad." Lyric asked her daughter. Skywynne sat up a bit.

"Well, mother, if you didn't grab 'The Great Book of _Fashion_ ' from the dragon-cycle fire instead of the _much more_ important Book of _Spells_ , I would have a much easier time with this. I'm having to create all of these spells from scratch." Skywynne's face plopped down on the bed again. "My head is pounding." Skywynne muffled.

"Honestly, dear, you know how much style and dress mean in the royal family. It shows what kind of a queen you are. Magic is just a little piece on the side." Lyric told her. Skywynne couldn't believe she heard her mother say that. A little piece on the side? Come on! It's magic!

"...tell me. What kind of spells did you conjure when you had the spellbook?" Skywynne muffled as she was still face-down on her bed.

"Let me see...oh, there was this one spell that would make your perfume smell like whatever a male counterpart desired. I'll write it down, considering you still need to find yourself a prince." Lyric told her.

"Not now, mom...please…" Skywynne told her, lifting her head up a bit. She really wished she had that previous book of spells. She could only imagine the secrets that were being held in that book. Lyric realized the best thing to do for Skywynne was give her some motherly advice.

"What I think you should do is...create spells that carry a part of you. Don't create them based off of what others would like to see. Go off of what makes you...well, yourself." Lyric told her as she got up from the bed. "Baby will be here in a few hours so you have some time." She said to Skywynne while walking over to the doorway. She took the handle and pulled the door open before turning back to her daughter. "I love you, honey. I think...you'll do wonderful. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me!" Lyric told her with a smile. Skywynne sighed with a smile as she sat up and sat on her bed. She knew her mother meant well. She felt lucky to have a mom that sticks up for her like that.

"Thank you, mom. Love you." She replied as the door closed. Skywynne sat for a minute, thinking about what her mother said.

" _Create spells that carry a part of you…"_

"A part of you...what does…" Skywynne asked herself. Skywynne took a look at her wand sitting next to her. She picked it up, gently touching the moonstone clockface as she held the pink handle with her other hand. She took a finger and lightly tapped the two golden bells sitting on the top of the clock face. She wished she could hear the bells but they can only be heard by dogs, ferrets, and pig-goats. She could hear the sounds of animals outside because of it. Skywynne stared at that wand intensely.

"Wait a minute…" Skywynne said, coming to a realization. "Clock...time…" Skywynne gasped as she shot up off the bed and ran to her desk, taking the quill in her hands. She sat down at the ottoman in front of it, beginning to write on the paper.

"Okay...okay... let...time...wait, no." Skywynne mumbled to herself, crossing things out. "Let the future- yes!" She continued to write until she had the spell she was looking for. She picked up the piece of paper and read it over one more time to memorize the spell before putting it back down on the desk. Skywynne, then, put it down and ran over to her bed, picking up her wand. She went over to her door.

"Squire! I need another a-" She saw her squire standing there with a basket full of apples. "Oh! Thank you….uhhh..." Skywynne tried to remember his name.

"My name is Willifred." The squire told her. It was almost like he's told her this before...many times.

"Um...right. Well, thank you again!" Skywynne told him before closing the door and walking to the middle of the room, holding both the apple and wand close to her.

"Alright…" She took a deep breath. She slowly started bringing the wand and apple farther from her, reaching her arms out in front.

_Let the future unravel_

_Have the coming days sing_

Skywyyne brought the wand and apple back towards her. She took her arms and spread them out to her sides, turning them clockwise as if they were the hands of a clock.

_Lend me passage into time_

_Show me what it brings._

Skywynne shot the wand and apple up, having them both touch. Suddenly, a wave of bright blue light covered not just the apple, but Skywynne as well.

"What is-" Skywynne exclaimed as she suddenly disappeared from her room in a flash.

* * *

The flashback stopped.

"And that...is how I was brought here to your time." Skywynne told the gang. Everyone stared blankly at her...except for Tom who was all green in the corner of the room.

"You...traveled...in TIME?!" Marco exclaimed.

"You're really excited." Star mentioned.

"Star, I don't think you realize how long we, humans, have been trying to discover the concept of time travel. This is a big deal!" Marco explained.

"Wait a minute, that spell isn't in the spell book." Star said.

"I always write my spells on a separate sheet of paper before I even think of writing it in the spell book. You never know who those spells can get into the hands of." Skwynne told them. Star remembered how she lost the spellbook to Ludo back a while ago.

"Good point." Star replied.

"Also, I did travel in time, yes. I decided to stay hidden because of timelines and all. Plus, I noticed a battle being waged. There were giant soldiers everywhere. But not long after I came into your time, I saw this portal in the sky and then...a huge explosion and that's when everything changed...right in front of my eyes." Skwynne told them.

"Uh oh…" Marco muttered under his breath.

"That means you traveled to our time...just before we…" Star hesitated. "...destroyed the magic." Star said with a worried expression.

"You _destroyed_ the magic?" Skywynne asked.

"It was for Mewni's own good, Skywynne. Hundreds of warriors were destroying our home and it was the only way to stop them." Star explained.

"Well, that would explain why my wand isn't working." Skywynne said. She suddenly froze, realizing something. "Wait, because magic has been destroyed...I can't return to the past, can I?" Skywynne said, starting to panic. Star didn't respond. She knew Skywynne already knew the answer. "But...but I have to find a way back! I have a kingdom to rule and-and a family!"

"Hold on. If Skywynne can't return to the past...how is it that you're still here?" Tom asked, pointing at Star.

"Wait, he's right! If Skywynne never returned to the past, you wouldn't have existed! It's all part of the timeline!" Marco added. "Think about it. Remember how you left your camera and the photo in the cab on beach day?" Marco asked Star. Star's eyes lit up.

"Oh yeeeeeeahhh and how we got the beach day photo anyway because that old lady took it! That means there's gotta be some way she can get back!" Star suddenly realized what Marco was trying to get at.

"Maybe a scientist around here knows how to time travel." Janna added.

"Even if someone around here _did_ know, which is _highly_ unlikely,

Skywynne has to travel to another dimension, Janna." Tom told her. Skywynne started to frown, losing hope that she will ever return. Star turned, seeing her slouch in her chair.

"Look, we'll figure something out. I don't...know exactly what that something is yet but I'm sure we'll be able to help you." Star told her. "In the meantime, how about we all get some sleep. I think after a day like today, we could use it." Star said to her with a smile. Skywynne sighed.

"You're right, Star. Maybe some rest will help clear our minds a bit." Skywynne said, smiling back at her.

* * *

Tom, Eclipsa, Janna, and Ponyhead all went home a few minutes later. Marco and Star worked together to put some sheets and pillows on the living room sofa for a place for Skywynne to sleep. They tried to find the softest sheets and pillows possible for her. She was going through a lot so it was the least they could do. Luckily, Marco's parents bought Skywynne some pajamas at a local clothing store on their way back to the house so she had some comfy clothes to sleep in. Considering that Skywynne had absolutely nothing except her wand, they thought she could use them.

"I know it's not like, royal bedsheets and all but...I hope it's comfortable at least." Marco said to Skywynne as Star stood next to him.

"Don't worry about it. I appreciate you letting me stay for the night." Skywynne said, grabbing them both and embracing the two of them in a hug. They let go after a second.

"Oh, please. Stay as long as you need. We'd be awful people if we made you sleep out on the streets." Star chuckled. "Well, sleep tight, Skywynne." Star told her before Star and Marco started heading upstairs. Once Skywynne was settled under the blankets with a cup of water on the table next to the sofa in case she was thirsty, Star and Marco went upstairs to the bedroom and got ready for bed.

Skywynne took her hand under the blankets, taking out a small black and white crumbled up drawing. She looked at it with a smile. It was a picture of her and her family and friends on a mountain overlooking Butterfly Castle. She took her finger and lightly stroked it.

"I'll find a way home...I promise." Skywynne said before holding it close to her heart. She put the drawing under her pillow, falling asleep with her head laying gently on top of it.

* * *

Marco, wearing his blue silk pajamas, washed his face on one side of the bathroom as Star, wearing Marco's gray shirt and brown sweatpants, brushed her hair on the other side. As Marco grabbed a towel from the towel bar to the side of him, he glanced at Star, noticing a bit of concern in her eyes.

"You okay?" Marco asked her before he dried his face with the towel. Star quickly turned her head to Marco.

"Uh...yeah." Star said, looking away slightly as she brushed her hair.

"Star...talk to me." Marco told her, putting the towel back on the bar.

"I'm fine." Star said, quietly. Marco's eyes focused on Star.

"Hey, I know that look. You're upset about something." Marco said, pointing at her face. Star glanced at Marco and sighed, putting down her hairbrush.

"Uuuuuughh fine. Look, I'm wondering if destroying the magic was a mistake." Star told him. Marco's face softened.

"You had to do what was best for Mewni. There's no way you could've known this would happen. We can't predict the future." Marco told her.

"Yeah but...I've been wondering if it was the right choice. I mean, there's some friends that we'll never be able to see again because of what I did. Now, Skywynne can't return back home." Star looked down at the ground. "I'm sure there could have been some other way to stop the warriors. Did I not look hard enough and just get so angry at all that was going on that I didn't think straight?" Star replied. Marco took a hand and placed it under her chin, lifting her head up gently so she could look at him.

"Hey, you didn't mean any harm by it, I'm sure. Think of the positives. Our worlds are now together because of it." Marco told her with a smile. Star shed a smile back, looking to her side.

"Well…I didn't think about that, actually." Star said, looking back at him. Marco kissed the top of your forehead.

"You're an amazing person, Star. Don't let anyone tell you differently." Marco told her, They both took a moment to gaze into each other's eyes as Marco moved a piece of hair away from her face. "Well, time to hit the hay." Marco said as he made his way over to the door. "You coming?"

"Oh uh...yeah. I just need a minute." Star told him.

"Alright." Marco said before closing the door behind him. Star turned to the mirror on the wall and took a good look at herself. She smiled and took a deep breath, starting to sing.

"You are my starshine…you keep me smiling every day and night..." Star sang with a soft smile before humming the rest of Marco's song quietly, holding her heart. After a minute, she walked out of the bathroom.

Marco was in his blow-up bed, snuggled in his blankets. Star came into the room, seeing him lying belly down with his butt in the air. She shook her head in amusement before walking over to him and kneeling down, seeing his relaxed face. She kissed his forehead gently.

"Love you, Marco." Star whispered. Marco shed a smile in his sleep, happily sighing. "Ohhhhh you're so adorable." She added before getting onto Marco's bed, diving under the blankets, and falling into a pleasant sleep.

* * *

Outside the Diaz household, fourteen dark figures stood in the bushes in the backyard, hidden from view. Another figure hid by the window, peeking into the living room. The masked stranger caught a glimpse of Skywynne sleeping on the couch. The figure gasped, running back towards the group.

"She's in there." The person told one of the people, saluting. Suddenly, a thin, unkempt woman came out of the bushes. She had her hands in fists.

"Excellent! Finally! My ideas are coming into place." She proclaimed.

* * *

Star opened her eyes, squinting from a bright light in the sky. She opened her eyes a bit, seeing an orange sky lit up by the sun.

"How did...the sun get in Marco's room…" Star mumbled. Suddenly, her eyes started burning. "Ow! Okay, okay, I gotta stop looking at that." She stood up suddenly, realizing she wasn't in Marco's room. She looked down, seeing she was in her green outfit with a sewn on white teddy bear patch on the corner of her skirt.

"What the-" Star said to herself. "Where'd this outfit come from?" She stood there, completely befuddled. Where in the world was she and why was she wearing a dress that she knew got burnt along with all her other possessions? She looked around, seeing a whole conglomeration of trees surrounding her. She walked through the tall forest, walking for a bit until she reached the end. Star pushed back a few branches, stepping outside of the woods, seeing a giant castle.

"Oh, fantastic." Star said, noticing it was Butterfly castle. She was in Mewni. That could only mean one thing.

This was all a dream.

"Okay, brain, why in the world did you bring me here?" Star asked herself, trying to look up at her forehead. "This doesn't make me feel better, you know! I'd rather not see any of this!"

"Really? Well, I'm quite offended. That's not a way to treat an old friend." A broad baritone voice said nearby.

* * *

"Ah!" Star exclaimed.

She woke up.


	8. The Secret Date

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Secret Date**

Star sat straight up, hyperventilating a tad bit, wondering what in the world just happened. Marco woke up, sitting up to check on her.

"Star? You okay?" Marco asked, getting up off his blow-up bed. He rubbed his eyes as he sat there. Star continued to sit on Marco's bed, trying to comprehend everything in her head.

"Yeah...yeah I'm good. I just…" Star said, extremely confused.

"Was it another nightmare?" Marco asked her. Star shook her head.

"No…I think it...it was Glossaryk." Star took a deep breath. Marco raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?" Marco muttered. Star turned her whole body to face Marco.

"Look, I'm not crazy, okay? Glossaryk was there! The whole dream just felt...so real!." Star explained. Marco sat on the bed next to Star.

"But he's gone...we destroyed the magic…" Marco said. He then thought of how Glossaryk liked to mess with people's heads and make them question absolutely everything in existence, including everyone's own self. "Wait...is he?"

"I mean, yeah. I would think so." Star replied. She thought about it deeply for a second. "Yeah...yeah! It would be impossible if he was alive right now. He was literally made of magic so-" Star said to herself. Marco shook his head in amusement before putting a hand on Star's shoulder.

"Star, you're overthinking it. You're probably just stressed about everything going on right now. You've been through a lot." Marco told her. Star continued to stare off into space. "Do you...need me to sit with you again while you sleep?" Marco asked her.

"Oh. Uh...don't worry. I'm okay." Star told him with a smile. Marco smiled back before kissing her on the cheek.

"Well, if you need me, just wake me up, okay?" Marco told her as he stood back up, walking over to his blow-up bed again. Star started giggling randomly. "What's so funny?" Marco chuckled.

"Nothing. Just...when you kissed my cheek I got popcorn in my stomach." Star said.

"Popcorn in your what?" Marco asked, confused.

"Popcoorrnn. You know, like, when your tummy starts to tickle and it feels like corn's popping in it?" Star explained.

"Ohhhhh. Well, we don't call it that on Earth. Actually, you're gonna laugh when I tell you." Marco chuckled.

"Tell me." Star demanded, waiting for an answer.

"Well...butterflies." Marco told her. Star's eyes went wide.

"A Butterfly with butterflies...huh…" Star said to herself before they both laughed together. Star wiped a happy tear from her eye.

"Well, we should be getting back to sleep." Marco told her as he went back to his blow-up bed and got under the blankets. "Night Star."

"Night, Marco." Star said as she did the same, falling asleep once again.

* * *

Morning came. The sun was gleaming through Marco's room window, shining right onto Star's face. She woke up, squinting her eyes from the brightness of it. She suddenly felt something soft sitting against her.

"Morning." Marco said softly. He took a hand and stroked her cheek.

"Hi." Star sighed happily. For the past two mornings, the first thing Star saw when she woke up was Marco. Could it just be this way forever? She took her hand and gently held his. He became mesmerized in her blue eyes sparkling from the sunshine from his window.

"I'm guessing you slept well last night after the whole 'Glossaryk' thing, huh?" Marco asked her. "You never woke me up so…"

"Yeah. Nothing but sweet dreams." Star said, moving around a bit to wake herself up.

"Anyway, I made breakfast downstairs. How do you feel about pancakes?" Marco asked her. Star smiled again.

"Mmmmmm...pancakes…" Star mumbled. "My sugar's on the table, right?"

"Yes, Star. Your giant cup of sugar for the top of the pancakes is sitting on the table." Marco said in a tone like he's had to tell her this on _many_ occasions. "Are you ever going to try maple syrup?"

"Are you ever going to try sugar instead?" Star asked, smirking as she raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, no." Marco laughed. "Come on. You need to eat. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, after all." Marco told her as she stood up. Star got up out of bed, walking out the bedroom door with Marco.

* * *

Star and Marco walked down the steps and into the kitchen, seeing Rafael and Angie eating some of Marco's pancakes. Angie turned her head, seeing the two of them walking towards them.

"Star! You're up! How'd you sleep?" Angie asked her.

"Good, good." Star said to them. "Wait, where's Skywynne?"

"Still asleep." Rafael said.

"Wait, really?" Marco asked.

"She's been laying on that couch the whole time we've been down here. She hasn't woken up once." Angie said, pointing over to the living room. They all peeked from behind the kitchen wall, seeing Skywynne in one of the weirdest positions, spread across the couch.

"Wow." Star muttered.

"Yeah. I wish I could sleep like that...but Star usually wakes me up." Marco said before Star quickly turned her head to him.

"Hey, I slept in a bit today!" Star said, playfully elbowing him.

"Ow!" Marco yelped. Star turned around and looked at the giant stack of pancakes on the table, excitedly walking over to them. She sat down, seeing the pancake on the top of the stack with a chocolate heart on top.

"Awww. Marco!" Star said to Marco as he walked over to her.

"Well, you've been stressed. I thought you could use something to brighten your day." Marco replied.

"That is too cute, boo." Star said finding it absolutely adorable. They leaned their heads closer together as their lips touched.

"Awww…" Marco's parents quietly said. Marco and Star froze, forgetting they were there at that moment. Their eyes went wide, glancing over at them. They parted quickly, looking around before Marco cleared his throat.

"Well-" Star spoke.

"Anyway-" Marco added.

"Now, come on, you two. You don't have to hide any of that from us." Rafael told them.

"It's not that!" Marco said.

"Yeah, it's just awkward to kiss in front of you two." Star said.

"Well, that was a little too _forward_!" Marco said to Star, trying to make a point come across.

"Marco, don't worry about it. We're just happy to _finally_ see the two of you together." Angie said as Rafael wrapped his arm around her. Marco's eyes went wide.

"Woah, woah, wait. Wait. You've shipped us this whole time?!" Marco asked them. They nodded.

"Actually, almost everyone has. Us, most of your friends...even your little sister!" Angie said as she pointed to Mariposa, sitting in her papoose wrapped around her mother. She was holding a Star and Marco doll, pressing their faces together as if they were kissing. Mariposa giggled playing with the dolls. Star's eyes filled with hearts.

"Sooooo cuuute! I wanna boop her cheeks." Star said.

"Wait, where did she-" Marco wondered as he pointed at the dolls.

"Oh, that was me! You said you wanted her to remember you soooo I made her dolls of both of us with my magic before it disappeared! I wanted her to remember me too." Star told him. Marco smiled, appreciating that Star took the time to make those and think of him. Mariposa handed her the Star doll. He took a close look at it, noticing it was surprisingly lifelike.

"Wow. So...realistic." Marco said to her.

"Well, I do try." Star said as she took her hand and flipped her hair, acting proud of herself. Suddenly, a tired face came into the kitchen.

"Skywynne! You're up!" Angie said to her. Skywynne rubbed her eyes.

"Hello everyone." Skywynne said with a smile and yawn. "I must say, your sofa is quite comfortable." Skywynne walked over to the table, seeing another plate pancakes sitting on a plate. "What do you call these?" She asked, pointing to the plates of delicious breakfast food.

"Oh, uh...pancakes!" Marco said to her.

"Pan...cakes? So you make them in a pan, then?" Skywynne asked, obviously revealing she's never even heard of them.

"You've never had pancakes?! We ate them on Mewni all the time!" Star asked.

"I'm afraid not." Skywynne replied. Star figured they must have not been made on Mewni until after Skywynne's reign.

"Well, they're best with a heap of sugar on top!" Star added. Marco shook his head.

"A heap of what?" Skywynne questioned.

"Just...don't listen to her." Marco said as he put his hands on Star's ears. "She has an addiction." Marco whispered to Skywynne. Star took her hands and moved Marco's palms away from her head.

"Hey, I'm just telling you that you're missing out on something like...totally amazing. You all..." She pointed at everyone in the kitchen. "...haven't lived life to the fullest yet." Star said as she dumped a heap of sugar on top. She took her fork and ate her overly sugary pancakes. Skywynne took a forkful of her stack of pancakes and ate them as well. Skywynne's eyes grew big as she enjoyed the taste of those fluffy delights in her mouth.

"Mmm...these are much better than the corn cakes we have at Butterfly Castle." Skywynne said with a mouth full of pancake.

"I know right?! They're so stale, man." Star added.

"Okay, I have to ask. Is it just me or does it seem like... _everything..._ is made of corn on Mewni?" Marco asked. Star and Skywynne sighed as if they were disappointed.

"Oh my gosh, yeeeeesss." Star said, faceplanting into the table, trying her best not to get any of her really long hair in the pancakes and sugar.

"You'd think they'd be over corn by now. They could switch to...oh, I don't know...figs!" Skywynne said. Star raised an eyebrow.

"...figs?" Star asked.

"...you're right. That's just as bad." Skwynne replied. As Marco sat down at the table with Star and his parents, Rafael read the Echo Creek Times. He let out a gasp.

"Honey, look at this!" Rafael said, pointing to a section of the newspaper. Angie looked over his shoulder.

"Ooo! A fireworks show at the Seaside Cliffs tonight!" Angie exclaimed.

"Seaside Cliffs?" Star wondered.

"Oh, it's such a romantic spot to watch the sunset. It's right near the beach and the view is absolutely breathtaking." Angie said to her. She turned her gaze to Marco. "Hey...why don't you and Star go! You both deserve a little time alone together." Angie said to her son.

"It does sound fun, you know." Star said, nudging her boyfriend.

"Sure. Why not. We could use a little stress relief, now that I think about it." Marco said as he shrugged. They suddenly turned to Skywynne, forgetting that they needed to help her adjust to future earth. They wondered if it was a good idea to leave her here.

"Oh! Uh, Skywynne? Do you mind if we-" Star started. Skywynne shed a smile.

"Oh, no, no, no. You two have fun tonight. I actually made plans for the whole day anyway." Skywynne told them.

"Really? With who?" Marco asked. A loud sound, almost like the sound of jets, came from outside. The front door suddenly burst open.

"SKY! GIRL! YOU READY FOR THE BEST TIME OF YOUR LIFE!?" An upbeat, overly dramatic Ponyhead exclaimed, coming through the doorway.

"Ooooooooohhh my goodness! You have plans with Ponyhead?! Oh, you guys are going to have so much fun!" Star said, getting a bit excited.

"Yes, we're going to have so much fun! We're going to do makeovers and order some...what is it called...pizza?" Skywynne asked. "Earth has a lot more variety than Mewni in terms of food."

"Yessss! But hold on, first we're going to my house." Ponyhead told her. Star suddenly thought of something.

"Oh! Pony! You didn't run into any trouble on the way here, did you? Like, you didn't get hurt or anything, right?" Star asked.

"Girl, listen. So like, I drove a helicopter here so I didn't even talk to anybody or go near anybody. I was basically riding in luxury or whatever." Ponyhead said.

"Aaaand who was driving?" Star asked, nervous to know the answer.

"Oh, me. I drove it." Ponyhead said to her. Marco scratched the top of his head

"Wait, how'd you get a helicopter?" Marco asked.

"It's none of your beeswax, Earth Turd." Ponyhead replied. Marco gasped.

"You stole it, didn't you!? That's worse than Tom stealing that car!" Marco added, pointing outside.

"Look, I'm a princess, okay? I have the right!" Ponyhead said as Marco's eye twitched. Ponyhead turned back to Skywynne. "So as I was saying, we're gonna get makeovers and bake stuff and watch chick flicks like the Doodle Pad and Break of Day and-!" Ponyhead told them.

"Oooo I love those movies! Sounds like fun!" Star replied excitedly.

"Yeah! I love Break of Day!" Marco said, pumping his fist in the air before everyone glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "Hey, come on, I mean...we all have our guilty pleasures, right?...uh, right?" Marco chuckled nervously.

"Anyway, Sky! I got rainbow cake batter waiting!" Ponyhead shouted, nudging Skywynne to get changed and get ready to leave.

"Be back down in a tick!" Skywynne said, grabbing her dress from beside the sofa and running into the bathroom upstairs.

"Oh, my goooooosh! Pony! You know rainbow's my favorite flavor!" Star exclaimed.

"I got you, girl! You know I do! I'll bring you some when I come back here." Ponyhead told her.

"But...rainbow's not a-" Marco started.

"Hey, you guys shouldn't even talk. You have a 'red velvet' cake flavor. Who in their right mind would want to eat velvet!? It's for clothing, not our stomachs!" Star told him.

"You know, I wonder who came up with that, actually." Marco replied. Star suddenly gasped, thinking about something.

"Somebody who wasn't normal, obviously!" Ponyhead said. Skywynne came down wearing her elegant dress once again. "Okay, let's g-l...is that like, the only outfit you have?! Okay, I'm taking over your entire wardrobe, alright? We need to get some serious shopping done. You are behind in the times! Well, I mean, you did time travel so of course, you would be."

"If it helps, there's something on Earth called 'online' shopping. All you do is order something and it'll come straight to your front door in a few days. You wouldn't have to go anywhere outside so you guys would be safer. " Marco said, taking out his phone and showing it to Ponyhead and Skywynne. "Oh, and when I say you guys, I mean Ponyhead." Marco added, pointing at Ponyhead.

"Hey, someday they'll accept me for the amazing and beautiful pony I am! This'll have to do, though." Ponyhead said. "Okay now, let me warn you about my sisters. They can be a bit crazy and overly dramatic, unlike myself." She said as she was guiding Sky to the door. Star suddenly came to Sky's side.

"If they ever talk about abdicating Pony of the throne, just back away slowly." Star whispered.

"Oh um...okay?" Skywynne whispered back, a little nervous about meeting Ponyhead's sisters now.

"Huh?" Ponyhead said, turning around to face the two of them.

"Oh...uh…" Skywynne was at a loss for words.

"Nothing! I was uh...just telling Sky she had one more bite of breakfast!" Star said before running over to the kitchen table and grabbing a forkful of pancake. She put it right in Skywynne's mouth, making her jump just a bit. Skywynne grabbed the fork and took it out of her mouth, chewing the food. She smiled and nodded towards Ponyhead as she ate.

"If you say so, B-Fly. Now let's gooooo!" Ponyhead said, eager to get her and Skywnne's hangout time going.

"Bye Skywynne! Have fun!" Star exclaimed. Suddenly, Star's phone rang, playing Space Unicorn. Marco took his phone out, realizing his wasn't the phone that was ringing.

"Star! That's _my_ ringtone!" Marco said, pointing at Star's phone in her dress pocket.

"Oh, come on! I said it was cute soooo I decided to use it!" Star told him as she reached in her dress pocket, taking her phone out.

"Now we'll never know who's phone is ringing! It's going to get confusing!" Marco said.

"Relllaaaxxx, Mr. Diaz." Star said, patting the top of his head. She looked at the caller ID. Her eyes went wide. "AH!" She yelled, juggling the phone, trying not to drop it. Marco snickered.

"Relllaaaxxx, Ms. Butterfly." He chuckled, trying to act clever.

"It's Mom! She's video calling me!" Star said. "You don't think she knows about Skywynne, do you? Did Eclipse say anything?! Oxygen...running...thin!"

"Star! Calm down! She might just be calling to check up on you." Marco said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Star took a deep breath before tapping the answer call button. A video feed came on the screen...all you could see was Moon's forehead.

"Star? Darling, can you hear me?" Moon said on the other side of the phone.

"Mom! I-...Mom? Back up from the phone a bit. You're uh…" Star said, motioning for her mother to pull back.

"Like this?" Moon asked. She backed up from the phone...but all you could see was the ceiling.

"No, no...Mom? Now I can't see you at all. Just tilt it down." Star told her. Moon began to tilt her phone, making her a bit more clear again. "A liiiittttle more." Moon tilted it one more time, making her face fully visible. "Okay, stop! That's perfect."

"Okay. How are you, Star?"

"Good! I'm good." Marco came behind Star and embraced her in a hug. "Oh, and Marco's good too." Star chuckled.

"Hi, Moon!" Marco said as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"Hello! Anyway, I'm just calling to check up on you. I would be over to visit you sooner but I have duties to attend to here." Moon told the two of them.

"Duties? Mom, you aren't queen anymore. No one is. What kind of duties are we talking about here?" Star asked, befuddled.

"Well, as you already know, monsters aren't being treated the best in this new world of ours. Most of them are taking shelter and refuge here in the monster temple." Moon shifted the phone to show the room she was sitting in. Monsters were at every corner. Families sat and ate while some of them were walking around. She turned the phone back to herself.

"I fear that if we don't settle the dispute between them and the humans soon, I fear the worst. This place is starting to get incredibly cramped." Moon told her. "I know that you want a break from all of this and that you've been through enough as it is, but you know monsters better than I ever will. Any advice would be a great help to me." Moon finished.

Star started to get upset seeing her monster friends in this condition. She and Marco turned their heads to look at each other. They both desperately wanted to fix this. Star knew how the monsters felt; being outcasted and treated like they don't belong anywhere. All that the monsters want is acceptance. They just want a home. Marco understood the human's fear, knowing that if the humans got to know and understand the monsters, the humans would all see that they are more like them than they know. Star and Marco were the perfect couple to fix the miscommunication between the two. If only they knew how at the moment. Marco turned back to the phone.

"We'll figure something out." Marco said. Star turned her head back to the phone as well.

"Yeah, there's gotta be something that can fix all of this. In the meantime, I would give the monsters some company. They could really use it." Star said.

"Understood. Well, I just wanted to check in and see how you two are. You both seem very happy from what I can tell." Moon said to them with a smile.

"I'm with my favorite person in the world. Of course, I'm happy." Marco chuckled as he embraced her tighter with a hug. Moon could see Star's eyes light up. Moon felt very good inside knowing that Star was at her happiest.

"So...there's nothing going on that I should know about?" Moon asked.

"Well th-" Star hesitated. She desperately wanted to tell her that Skywynne, a queen from hundreds of years ago time traveled to the future using magic. However, she felt as if her mom was going through enough as it is. "Theeeeeeere's a fireworks show Marco and I are going to tonight! Other than that, nothing new at all!" Star chuckled nervously. Marco looked at her with a raised eyebrow. He knew very well that she was hiding Skywynne from her.

"Well, I hope you both have a lovely time. I should go though. Ever since the monsters tried a few of my pies, they have begged me to make more. I'll visit you soon, my dear! Love you!" Moon said.

"Love you, Mom." Star said before they both hung up. Marco let go of her.

"Star, I know you were going to tell her about Skywynne." Marco said.

"Marco, she's dealing with a lot right now. I don't want to stress her out." Star replied. Marco sighed.

"...are you ever going to tell your mom about her?" Marco asked. Star looked over to her side.

"Maybe...if something happens to the point where I have no choice, I guess." Star shrugged.

"Well, okay." Marco said. He put his hands on her shoulders. "I trust you." Marco smiled at her. Star reciprocated.

"Marco! I got a surprise for you, son!" Rafael said, calling him into the kitchen. Marco and Star walked into the room.

"What's going on?" Marco asked.

"Come with me. I have something to show you that I think you might like." Rafael said.

* * *

The four of them walked outside, standing in front of the garage door.

"Alright, Marco. So you know how Grandma and Grampa Diaz cannot drive anymore due to their age?" Rafael said.

"Well, since they had no use for their car-" Angie started to say before Marco squealed.

"No. way...are you telling me that _it's_ in there?" Marco asked, pointing to the garage.

"What's in there?" Star asked. Marco started jumping in place.

"Has my time finally come?" Marco said in a high pitched voice.

"Marco! What's in there?" Star asked, taking his head and turning it to face hers. Rafael tapped Star's shoulder.

"I'll show you." Rafael said before pressing a button on a mini white remote. The garage door started to rise, revealing an object covered by a thick white sheet smack dab in the middle of the room. Marco squealed again.

"It iiiiiissss!" Marco said, running towards the object.

"Stillll don't know what it is." Star said.

"Star, let me introduce you to one of the most beautiful motor vehicles I have ever known!" Marco said as he grabbed the sheet. "May I have the honors, Dad?"

"Of course, my son." Rafael told him, holding his hands to his heart. Marco took off the sheet to reveal a stunning vintage car.

"Behold! The Hidasta Dusk!" Marco proclaimed. In front of them was a deep maroon-colored car from the 60's in pristine condition. The car was gleaming as it sparkled in the sunlight beaming through the doorway.

"What does Hidasta even mean?" Star asked.

"I think it's the name of a Native American tribe." Marco said.

"Ooooo! Pretty!" Star replied.

"I know right!? I've wanted this car for years! I mean, look at it!" Marco started geeking out over the car, pointing to different parts of it. "The sleek deep maroon paint job, tinted windows, the side skirts, the grill, the wing spoilers, the front bench seats...oh! Then, there's under the hood!" Marco walked over to it, lifting it up, revealing a slew of motorized parts. "The exhaust, the suspension, the steering system; Oh man, my grandparents upgraded everything so it runs like a dream! I'm telling you, Star; 400 horsepower. This car can _drive_!" Star stared blankly at him.

"See, I don't know what all of that means but I believe you!" Star said, confused. Angie walked over to Star, seeing her thinking way too hard than she should be.

"It's all guy speak, Star. Don't worry about it. I don't understand any of it either. Just nod your head and pretend you know what he's talking about. It works every time." Angie told her.

"Okay, good. I thought it was just me." Star said as she nodded her head. Rafael stopped Marco for a second.

"Now hold on, Marco. That's not all." Rafael said, holding a hand up.

"Huh?" Marco asked.

"Remember how you wanted a certain something installed?" Angie asked her son, wiggling her eyebrows. Marco's eyes lit up.

"No...you didn't…" Marco's mouth gaped.

"I did." Rafael said, smirking.

"YOU UPGRADED THE SAFETY FEATURES!?" Marco exclaimed, holding his hands up to his mouth in excitement.

"Yes! Airbags and all! It also has a state-of-the-art alarm system!" Rafael told him. Marco looked like he was about to cry tears of joy. He squealed like a girl fawning over a male celebrity. Star sighed, amused.

"Funny, after becoming a knight on Mewni and battling evil around every corner...he's still the safe kid." Star chuckled.

"He's been like that ever since he was little. I have so many stories of when Marco would tell us to stop using a butter knife to cut food for dinner. Get this. He was only 2 and a half!" Angie chuckled. They both laughed.

"Aww. So cute!" Star said, finding baby Marco so cute.

"So, son, now that you've shown how grown up and responsible you've become…" Rafael held out his hands, giving him a set of car keys. "The car is now yours." He told Marco with a smile. "Your mother and I also thought it would be the perfect car to watch the fireworks in with Star." Marco was awestruck as he took the keys in his hand. He took a good look at them before grabbing his dad in a ginormous hug.

"You're awesome, dad!" Marco said. Angie cleared her throat, getting Marco's attention. "Oh, and mom." Marco chuckled.

* * *

A few hours went by before the sun began to set. Star was ready to go with Marco to watch the fireworks, wearing her new dress made by Eclipsa. Marco was upstairs, trying on a different outfit for the special occasion. They never had a date outside the house before so he thought he would stand out just a bit. He put on a black button up quarter sleeve shirt with a pair of light navy blue jeans. His red hoodie was tied around his neck because, of course, he couldn't part with his hoodie. It's pretty much a part of him. On his feet were black converse sneakers. Star watched as he walked down the steps wearing his new outfit. Her eyes filled with hearts...mainly because she thought Marco looked like such a dork with his outfit. That's what she loved about him though.

"Well, well, Mr. Diaz. You clean up good." Star said, all suave as she fixed his collar just a bit. She saw the hoodie tied around his neck. "Marco, when will you ever part from that hoodie?" Star asked him.

"Pfft, are you kidding? Never!" Marco said before they both laughed. "So, you ready to go?" Marco said as he held an arm out for Star to hold.

"I thought you'd never ask." She said to him. Star took his arm before they both walked out the door. Rafael and Angie came to the doorway, watching them walk to the car.

"Have fun, you two crazy kids!" Rafael said to them.

"Remember, Marco! No speeding!...or driving through red lights! Oh, and check your gas meter!" Angie said, acting like a worried mother. Marco turned his head.

"Don't worry, Mom. This car's in good hands." He said to her with a smile as he spun his keys in his free hand. Angie looked as if she was about to cry.

"What's wrong, honey?" Rafael asked.

"Our son has really grown up in a year, hasn't he?" Angie said, leaning her head on her husband's shoulder.

"He really has." Rafael said, before bursting into tears. "Oh, honey! My son's a man now!" He exclaimed. Angie gently patted him on the shoulder to calm him down as he cried.

"There, there." Angie said to him.

* * *

Star and Marco were in the Hidasta Dusk, making their way to Seaside Cliffs. Marco felt like a whole new man driving this car he could now call his own. He was living his best life. He had a new car, the best girlfriend in the world; nothing could be more perfect. Star was happy to be going to this fireworks show as well. It really helped to keep her mind off of other things, like the feud between humans and monsters and the whole situation with Skywynne. She felt that she deserved to go to this event. It's what she deserved for quite a while now. For once, she felt relaxed and at ease. They drove past a sign to their left titled _Seaside Cliffs: Next Right._

"Looks like we made it in one piece." Marco chuckled as he turned onto the street.

"You missed three turns so thank goodness." Star said, chuckling.

"I never said I was good at navigating, Star." Marco laughed along with Star. They kept on driving down the road until they made it to the cliffs. The view was like nothing they had imagined. Angie was right. It was breathtaking to look at. They could see the whole Pacific Ocean glistening in the sunlight. They could both smell that ocean breeze from a mile away. It actually reminded them of Beach Day. This event, however, was on a whole new level.

On the cliffside were a few cars waiting for the fireworks show to begin. They had a good hour or so, since the sun was still up. Marco decided to park near the back, mostly because he felt safer there instead of on the edge of the cliff. Once Marco put the car in park, he turned off the ignition, leaving the air conditioning and radio on. Marco reached over to Star's side of the car, opening up the glove compartment.

"Howwwww abooouut some music?" Marco asked Star.

"Sounds good." Star said with a smile. Marco took out a CD from the compartment before leaning back towards his seat.

"Did I mention the car was upgraded to play CDs? Seriously, my parents are awesome. They went all out to upgrade this car. It's almost like old and new combined, really." Marco sighed. "Man, do I owe them something back." He said, looking at the CD player as he tried figuring out how to work it.

"Well, you could make them dinner. I mean, your food is like...amazing." Star told him. Marco leaned his head back on the seat.

"I've done that so many times, Star. I'm talking about something even bigger. I just can't figure out what that 'something bigger' is." Marco said, looking a bit discouraged as he glanced down at his feet. Star took notice to it, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, we'll figure it out together, okay?." Star said to him. Marco looked at her with a smile. Star smiled right back.

"Thanks." Marco replied as they gazed into each other's eyes for a few seconds. He forgot he had a CD in his hands. "Oh, right...the music." Marco chuckled as he looked for the slot for the CD player. Once he found it, he inserted the CD. A romantic guitar melody started to play.

"Oooo...latin music." Star said, pretending to play the guitar. Marco let out a small chuckle, finding her reaction to music so cute.

"Well, we have about an hour till the fireworks start." Marco said as he leaned back in his chair again, putting one arm behind his head and the other across the bench seat. "Now we think of what to do in the meantime." Star leaned her body closer to Marco's.

"I got an idea." Star said as she smirked. Marco did the same.

* * *

"Ooo! Ooo! Is it fluffy! Come on, it's gotta be fluffy!" Star said. A half hour went by. They decided to play a game called Lucky Guess on their smartphones, where they put their phones facing opposite of them, having to guess what word was on it.

"Hmmm...maybe a little bit?" Marco said in a high pitched voice, making a pinching motion with his free hand. "Okay, okay, is miiinne...round?" Marco asked. His word was _frog._

"Yeahhhhh no." Star replied.

"Darn it." Marco said, feeling like he was going to lose any minute now..

"Okay, okay! I want to guess! It's a baby penguin isn't it?" Star said, quite confident with her answer. Marco dropped his phone in defeat. He was right. He lost.

"Aw, man! Again!? How are you so good at this!?" Marco asked, laughing a bit.

"Well, you picked the category, 'Animals'. I mean, come on! You're talking to someone who wants a hundred pets!" Star laughed.

"I guess I asked for it." Marco said as he leaned forward just a bit. "Well, we _did_ say the winner says what we get to do next." Marco said. Star shed a small little smirk.

"I say..." Star leaned closer to Marco.

"...we kiss." Star said. Marco grinned. He tried playing along.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't hear that correctly. What did you wanna do?" He said as he leaned closer to Star. Star took her hand and grabbed the arms of his hoodie wrapped around his neck.

"You heard me loud and clear, Marco." She said to him.

"Well, I say that's a great idea." Marco chuckled. Their faces relaxed as they both leaned closer together, bringing their lips together. They shifted closer together, wrapping their arms gently around each other in an embrace. Marco took his hands and cupped Star's face with them. Star let out a small sigh, tremendously enjoying this moment as she took her hands in his soft, brown hair. Marco reciprocated, letting out a tiny little sigh as well. This kiss felt even better than the last one they had on their very first date. They felt more confident with it this time.

As the kiss continued, Star opened her eyes a bit, looking outside for just a second. Her eyes suddenly went big. She let out a small yelp. Star parted her lips from Marco's right then and there.

"Marco! Get down!" Star said as she ducked.

"What's going-" Marco wondered before Star took her hand and put it on top of Marco's head. She pushed his head down, accidentally hitting it against the steering wheel, making the car beep.

"OW!" Marco yelled, rubbing his head. "Star! What's going on?"

"Tom! It's Tom! Tom's right there!" Star exclaimed, pointing over to her left. Marco peeked from the car window, seeing Tom in his 'borrowed' black car to the left of Marco's.

"Star, I think he just wanted to see the fireworks. Besides, we don't have to duck. The windows are tinted." Marco explained. They continued to watch Tom from their car before seeing another figure in the car with them. It was a woman.

"Wait, Tom's with somebody! Is he on a date?" Star wondered, pointing in their direction.

"Must be. Wow. Earth and Mewni are combined for...I don't know, 4 days and he already has a girl." Marco said. The figure's face turned the direction of Marco's car. Once they realized who was in the car with them, they both gasped.

"Janna?!" They both exclaimed. They couldn't believe it. Star and Marco both had a feeling there was more than just magic between the two of them since they hung out that one day during Star's meeting with the magical high commission.

"No way! They're actually on a date?" Marco said with a smile. "Good on you, Tom...even though who you're dating is preetttyyyy creepy in my personal opinion." Marco added.

"Question is, why are Tom and Janna keeping this such a big secret? I bet they've been dating for a while." Star asked herself.

"They might just want their privacy. It could be their first date too, you know." Marco said, seeing Star take out her cell phone, scrolling through their contacts. "Whhaaat are you doing?" Marco said, thinking that whatever Star is doing is probably a bad idea.

"Calling Janna." Star said.

"Star, no. No! Bad idea." Marco said, regretting what Star was doing already.

"Look, I'm just doing a bit of investigating. Nothing more." Star replied as she put her phone up to her ear.

"I think the right term for this is _spying_." Marco added.

"Shhh shh shh! It's dialing." Star said. Marco sighed and faceplanted on the steering wheel, making the car beep. He jumped.

"Ah!" Marco yelped. Star watched as Janna took out her cell phone and answered it.

"Hello?" Janna answered.

"Oh heeeeeyyy Janna! Just wanted to talk and see...you know...how you're doing." Star said, trying to act like there's nothing suspicious going on...which she was acting the complete opposite of.

"Well, okay...I guess." Janna said. They both sat there, a good 20 feet from each other, completely silent. Marco leaned back, covering his face with his hands, doubting this could get any more uncomfortable.

"Uuuugh why did I let her do this?" Marco asked himself quietly.

"So...what'cha doing?" Star asked Janna.

"Oh, uh...I'm just...watching TV…" Janna lied. Star glared at Tom and Janna.

"Watching TV, huh? Interesting...verrryyy interesting…." Star replied. Marco's eyes lit up. He sat up, wanting to listen to the conversation even more.

"Yeah. It's uh...it's interesting, yeah." Janna responded. Star was itching in her seat. She couldn't believe what was happening right now.

"Okay...well I'm uh...going to hang up now." Star said, eager to talk to Marco about this.

"Okay. Bye." Janna said, hanging up.

"Byyyyyyeeeee." Star said, taking the phone away from her ear and hanging up. Marco was waiting for Star to tell him what was happening.

"So they _are_ hiding it?!" Marco asked her. Star stared suspiciously at the two of them.

"You bet your booty they are." Star said in a low tone. "My question is...why…"

"Yeah. I mean, it's nothing to be ashamed of." Marco said. "You know, you're right, Star. This is kind of strange." Marco agreed. Suddenly, they watched as Tom and Janna faced each other. They started to lean in closer...like they were about to…

"NO WAY!" Star exclaimed, forcefully slamming her hands on the dashboard in front of her. The car suddenly went out of control as the alarm system was triggered. Three different alarms started waiting all at once, drawing a TON of attention.

"STAR! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Marco yelled, since the alarm system was so loud.

"IT'S NOT ME! YOUR CAR IS WAAAAAAY TOO SENSITIVE!" Star looked at the dashboard. "GROW A BACKBONE, WILL YA?!" Star yelled at the car as they both scrambled to get the alarm system turned off. Janna and Tom jumped, startled from the loud alarm. They leaned back and looked in Star and Marco's direction. Tom gasped, looking at Marco's car.

"Wait, is that…"


	9. The Return of Two Old Friends

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Return of Two Old Friends**

The lights were on, which made Star and Marco fully visible to everyone around them. They tried everything they could to shut the alarm off in the car and turn those darn lights out. However, nothing was working. Marco became frustrated.

"Ahhhh come on, you stupid car!" Marco yelled, slamming the dashboard with his hands in fists. Suddenly, the alarm shut off and the lights went off, leaving the two of them with blank stares.

"Huh...it was that easy the entire time." Star shrugged. Marco did the same before looking to his left, seeing Tom glancing over at them with squinted eyes.

"He's looking this way!" Marco said as he watched Tom get out of his car. He began to walk towards Marco's vehicle.

"He got out of the car. He got out of the car!" Marco yelled, being sent into a full-fledged panic.

"Okay...this is a setback…" Star said. Marco gently grabbed Star's arms.

"Setback?! Star! This guy has fire powers!...and anger issues and...oh, did...did you hear me mention the _fire powers_?" Marco exclaimed, letting go of Star's arms and pointing over at Tom.

"Poop...and it was going so well too!" Star voiced nervously.

"May this be a lesson to you, Star. This is why spying is bad!...that is...unless it's for the good of the world like if we were spying on an evildoer or something. That's the only exception though!" Marco said to her. Star opened up the glove compartment, revealing a few items. She snapped her fingers as she took the items out of it.

"I got it! Star exclaimed. As Tom continued to walk slowly towards the car, Janna watched him walk away. She called him out.

"Hey, where are you going?" Janna asked.

"Oh, uh, just over to that car...right over there." Tom said, pointing to Marco's Hidasta Dust. Janna raised an eyebrow. As Janna and Tom conversed, Star and Marco continued to formulate a plan.

"Well, looks like your pops left a few things in here. We can use these little babies to our advantage." Star said, holding a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap that had a few words on it. Marco looked at the items in her hands.

"Okay. Well, put 'em on. Tom's distracted. He's talking to Janna right now so we have time." Marco said before looking up at Star. She was smirking. "No...ohhhhh heck no! I'm not wearing it!"

"Trust me! Tom's more gullible than you think! Plus, he's so used to you wearing your red hoodie that he'll have even more trouble knowing it's you!" Star said.

"Why can't you wear it? You know Tom better than I do!" Marco said, panicking some more.

"Exactly! Tom and I know each other a lot better than the two of you do. He'll be able to recognize me! Come on, Marco. Do iiiiiiiit." Star said to him. Marco groaned.

"Fine." Marco said as he put on the baseball cap and sunglasses. He took his red hoodie off of his neck and threw it to the backseat of the car. Star suddenly got up out of her seat and hopped over it, hiding in the back. "Wait, where are you going?!" Marco asked as he put on the baseball cap and sunglasses.

"If he sees me, he might put the pieces together! Pretend I'm not here!" Star said as she ducked, making herself scarce. She looked down, seeing a black ball-point pen on the ground. "Oh, wait!" Star exclaimed. She leaned forward, grabbed Marco's face, and started drawing on it.

"Ah, Star! What are you-" Marco said, squinting. Star stopped after a few seconds.

"Aaaaand there." Star said to herself. Marco stood stiff, a little afraid not knowing what was put on his face.

"What did you just do to my face?" Marco asked, pointing at himself.

"Look in the mirror." Star said. Marco pulled down the sunshade of the car, revealing a mirror. He looked at his reflection, seeing a fake mustache on his face. Marco looked at it, touching it very gently with his hands. "Hey, careful! I worked hard on that!"

"...I kind of like it. Makes me look kind of...macho, ya know?" Marco said, trying to look manly in the mirror. "How does this help with-" Marco started.

"He's coming this way! Act. natural!" Star said as she ducked back down to the car floor. She covered herself with Marco's hoodie to make her even less visible. Marco watched as she hid herself.

"But-" Marco turned around to a knock on the door. Tom was standing on the other side of it, trying to look through the tinted glass. Marco kept his composure, taking a little crank on the door and turning it, bringing the glass down. He sat there, trying to act cool with his sunglasses, baseball cap, and fake mustache.

"...'sup…nice makeup." Marco said. Tom did a double-take.

"Oh, it's not-..." Tom pointed at his face. He decided to drop that part of the conversation. "I uh...I'm so sorry, dude. I thought you were someone else." Tom replied, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"It's cool, bro. Anyone can mistake me for someone, especially someone as manly and macho as I." Marco told him as he pretended to check his nails. Star facepalmed while underneath Marco's hoodie. She lifted the hoodie a little bit to see what was happening.

"Marco, what are you doing?!" Star whispered. She suddenly took a sniff of the hoodie. "Mmmm...Marco smell." Marco leaned an arm on the door.

"But...your hat says...Old Folks Bingo Night." Tom said as pointed at Marco's baseball cap. Marco looked up at it before staring blankly at him.

"I'm...uh...I'm a rebel?" Marco said. Star felt as if this couldn't get any weirder.

"Cool...anyway, I'm Tom." Tom said as he reached out a hand.

"I'm uh…" Marco saw a man holding a mango smoothie in his hand in a convertible in front of him. "Mango...McSmooooth…ie." Marco said, sweating like a pig on a really hot day.

"...well…never thought that the nickname Oskar gave him would be useful one day." Star whispered.

"Mango...McSmoothie…?" Tom asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes...people call me...the man...for short" Marco said to him, pushing his sunglasses up to act cool. Star wanted to crawl into a hole and hide away from how awful that name sounded. She knew Marco was trying his best but...the man? "So...is that your car over there?" Marco asked, nudging his head over to where Tom's car was.

"That's right, Marco. Interrogate. Interogaaaaaate." Star quietly said, determined.

"Yeah." Tom said.

"So that must...uh...be your date then, huh?" Marco asked, trying to pretend as if he doesn't know anything.

"Yeah…" Tom replied.

"I knew it!" Star whispered excitedly. She became filled with excitement.

"...yeah, we've been going out for like, 2 weeks so...yeah she's awesome." Tom said. Star desperately wanted to come out from Marco's hoodie and give the two of them a hug...and possibly set up double dates.

"Cool. You both look pretty good together. I would think that all your friends believe that." Marco replied.

"Um...yeah…" Tom replied as if he was hiding the fact that none of his friends knew. "Well, it was nice meeting y-." Tom stopped, noticing a distinct feature on Marco's face. "Weird."

"What?" Marco started to get nervous again. He began sweating, thinking Tom found something suspicious about him.

"A friend of mine has a mole too...in the same exact place." Tom said as he grew deep in thought. Marco became stiff while Tom observed him.

"A lot of people have moles. It's probably just a coincidence." Marco chuckled nervously, trying to keep Tom from figuring out who he really was. Tom leaned forward very slightly as Marco's eyes went big, worrying Tom was going to figure it all out. After a few seconds, Tom backed up and let out a small chuckle.

"You couldn't possibly be him though. There's no way he could grow facial hair like that." Tom said, pointing at the fake mustache on Marco's face. Marco gave him a not-so-obvious irritated look.

"That's suuuuch a shame" Marco said, grinding his teeth, a little offended at what he just said. Then again, Tom says and does a lot of things that are out of line. Tom took out his cell phone that Janna gave to him out of his pocket, looking at the time.

"Oh, shoot. The fireworks are starting in a minute." He said as he glanced at Janna in his car. He looked back at Marco. "Anyway, it was nice meeting you, uh…'the man'." Tom chuckled.

"Likewise." Marco said as Tom walked away, back to his car. Star came out from underneath Marco's hoodie and jumped up to the front, giving him a raised eyebrow.

"...Mango McSmoothie?" Star repeated.

"I was under pressure, okay!?" Marco replied as he took off his hat and sunglasses, putting them behind him on the back seat. He reached towards the glove compartment again, taking out a small pack of cleaning wipes. He opened it, taking a wipe and wiping off the mustache Star drew on his face.

"Let me guess…" Star pointed to the wipes. "Mariposa?"

"Hey, there may come a point in time when I have to babysit her. You can never be too prepared." Marco replied as he put the used wipe in his jeans pocket. Thankfully, the wipe wasn't too wet.

"...says the boy who put a space blanket and a teeny tiny book of knots in a fanny pack." Star said with a smirk.

"It helped us in that situation with the dragon and you know it!" Marco said, trying to make a point. "And it was a miniature book of knots, for your information."

"Oh, come on! I was just messing with you." Star chuckled as Marco put the wipes back in the glove compartment, closing its door shut. Fireworks suddenly shot off up above, making the whole sky completely colorful. Star and Marco turned their heads, watching the fireworks go off. Star's eyes lit up.

"Woooowww." Star said under her breath. They could see the lights reflecting off of the ocean. It made the water sparkle and the night sky shine bright. Marco looked over at Star and smiled before putting an arm around her, pulling her close. Star happily obliged, resting her head on his shoulder as Marco rested his head on hers in return. She sighed with joy.

"You know, I just want life to be like this...all the time." Star said.

"Me too." Marco said. He looked into her eyes for a second, seeing the fireworks in their reflection. "Hey...you know I love you, right?"

"I'll say yes if you know that I love you." Star replied. Marco let out a small laugh. They looked down, taking each other by the hand before turning their heads to each other so they could gaze into one another's eyes for a bit. They leaned in and gave each other a little kiss. Once they parted, Star started sniffing Marco's face.

"What is it?" Marco asked.

"You smell like a baby." Star said, recognizing the scent of the baby wipes. They both chuckled as they continued to cuddle together.

* * *

Star and Marco arrived home a little after the fireworks show around 8:30. Marco pulled the car into the driveway before they both walked out of the car. Star walked to Marco and took him in her arms as they began to make their way towards the door. They opened the front door, laughing.

"No, no, and-" Star laughed too hard to talk. "And then you thought the cup was filled with cornshake!" Star chuckled.

"How was I supposed to know it was a cup of paint! All I'm thankful for is that it was non-toxic." Marco said.

"Seriously, your face when you drank it though? You-" Star started before they stopped in their tracks, seeing Angie, Rafael, Skywynne, and Ponyhead all watching the TV very closely. They had worried looks on their faces. "Guys? What's-"

"Shhh! Just get your butt over here!" Ponyhead told her. Star and Marco came over to where they were standing. They looked at the TV, seeing the mayor of Echo Creek holding a press conference.

"Malinda Luis from the Echo Creek Times. Have you figured out where the buildings and castle towers came from?" She asked.

"We haven't at the moment. However, from what we have gathered, they appeared after the gas leak that appeared in the sky shortly after the blast that transformed our town." The mayor stated.

"It's not a gas leak, people. It's a portal." Marco added.

"Ms. Mayor, can you confirm that there is something being done about the monster infestation here in Echo Creek?" A news reporter asked.

"Yes. In fact, we are working with the Echo Creek Police Department so that we may contain and wipe the monster threat that now plagues our great city." The Mayor stated. Star and Marco gasped.

"Oh no." Marco reacted.

"Rest assured, these monsters will flee our city or we will move them out by force!" The mayor exclaimed. Cheering was heard in the background. "Echo creek will be ours again!"

"Contain and wipe...those are never good words." Skywynne added.

"Just when I thought my day went so well…" Star said as she stood up. "I need a soda." Star said as she made her way to the kitchen. Marco suddenly heard a familiar song playing in the distance.

"I'll be right back." Marco said to his parents and friends.

"...everything okay?" Angie said.

"Well...I'll get back to you on that." Marco told them. He walked out of the living room and into the kitchen, seeing Star standing at the counter in the middle of the room with a soda can in her hand. On the radio played the song Marco turned on when he was wallowing about Star leaving after finding out Toffee returned.

"Well...I'm having deja vu." Marco walked closer to Star and stood next to her. "You okay?" Star didn't even say a word. She just smushed her face on the countertop.

"...meh." Star moaned.

"Ooookay." Marco leaned down on the countertop with Star. "Listen, we'll fix this. I'm sure. I mean, you're a mewman. I'm a human. We're the perfect duo for this." Marco said, trying to cheer her up.

"Thanks for trying to bring up my spirits but I'm just...I'm so frustrated with all of this. It's like this whole 'people hate monsters' thing never ends." Star said, staring off into space. She brought the can she was holding to her mouth, drinking some soda out of it and slamming it on the countertop right after. Marco looked to his side.

"We'll figure it out." Marco said, looking back at Star. "In the meantime, there's really nothing we can do right now." Marco told her. Star sighed.

"You're right." Star said before she looked over at Marco. "Hey, thanks for the amazing night...even though we were interrupted by Tom and Janna." Marco put a hand on her shoulder.

"Not a problem." Marco said. "You know, we should go out again sometime. I found it fun." Marco said, trying to act cute. Star saw what he was trying to do.

"Hmmm...I'll have to think about that." Star chuckled, playing along. She stood up before kissing Marco on the head. "I'm gonna head to bed."

"Night, Star." Marco said. As he made his way back to the living room, he saw the four of them peeking behind the kitchen wall. Marco made a straight face.

"Really guys…" Marco said to them.

"Okay, look. For the record, it was your parent's idea! They are the guilty ones, alright?" Ponyhead exclaimed.

"Oh, I knew that already." Marco said, glaring at Angie and Rafael.

"Oh, come on, son. We worry about the two of you!" Rafael said. Angie looked over at her husband and back at them.

"...him more than me. There should be a sad adult hotline." Angie said sarcastically.

"Look. We're fine. Star's just a little stressed with everything going on right now."

"A little? She seems a bit off to me." Skywynne added.

"I think she just needs some rest. That's all." Marco explained.

"Alright...I've just never seen her lack so much confidence in _any_ situation." Angie asked. Marco sighed, then smiled.

"Don't worry. It is my job as her boyfriend slash best friend to make sure she's at her happiest. I'm going to make sure that happens." Marco said, confidently. They all smiled hearing those words from him.

"You know, Marco, Star's lucky to have a guy like you." Ponyhead said.

"Well, I try." Marco shrugged.

"Try?! Earth turd! You went back in the crumbling realm of magic with NO way back to Earth just to be with Star! Like, are you kidding me right now?!" Ponyhead said, finding it hard to believe Marco said he was 'trying'. "Seriously, _every_ girl wants to be with a guy like you!" Angie and Rafael's eyes lit up. They knew that their son loved Star, but they never knew that he loved her so unconditionally. Hearing that he did this for Star made their hearts soar. They could never be so proud.

"Really? I mean, Star did the same thing." Marco shrugged, looking to his side. He started rubbing his neck. Angie noticed a bit of doubt in his eyes. She put her hands on his shoulders, about to give him some words of encouragement.

"Marco? I want you to listen to me, okay?" Angie said. Marco nodded. "You have grown up to be such a wonderful young man. You've saved another dimension and have been treating Star as if she was an _absolute_ treasure; just...don't doubt yourself, okay? You're treating Star better than anyone ever could. Your father and I are so proud of you." Angie said to him. Marco looked down to the ground and then back at her. He smiled.

"Thanks, mom." Marco said before hugging his mom. Rafael started to get all teary-eyed. He grabbed the two of them in a giant hug.

"I feel...so happy." Rafael said with a shaky voice. He was about to cry.

"See...sad adult hotline…" Angie said.

"Agreed." Marco said. Skywynne and Ponyhead watched as the Diaz family had a moment.

"This is so sweet." Skywynne said. She turned her head, seeing Ponyhead looking at herself in a mirror on the wall near the door.

"Sorry, did you say something?" Ponyhead said. Skywynne blankly stared at her.

* * *

Shortly after Ponyhead left for her home in the sky and once everyone got ready for bed, Marco went upstairs to his room. He walked in, seeing Star laying in his bed, peacefully. He smiled as he watched her sleep, quietly tip-toeing his way to the bathroom to get ready for bed. He suddenly heard Star moving and groaning.

"Marco?" Star mumbled. Marco froze.

"Hey! Uh, I didn't wake you up, did I?" Marco asked.

"Oh no...no, no. You didn't. I just can't sleep." Star said. "There's too much on my mind right now."

"Well, if you want, we could...you know...talk about it." Marco told her.

"Don't worry. I'm not upset. My brain is just on overdrive right now." Star replied. Marco came over to the bed, sitting at the foot of it.

"I'm guessing you're trying to think of a way to bring harmony to the whole monsters and humans situation?" Marco asked.

"Yyyup, not to mention trying to think of a way to get Skywynne back to her own time." Star sighed as she sat up. "My head...it hurts." She said as she held her head. Marco tried to think of something that could help her. He suddenly got an idea. Marco got up and ran over to his desk.

"Whaaaaat are you doing?" Star asked. Marco opened a drawer and took out a pair of bluetooth earbuds before walking back over to her.

"Let me see your phone for a second." Marco asked, holding his hand out. Star leaned over to her left and picked up her phone from the nightstand, handing it to him. "Alright, tell me a sound that you find relaxing."

"Uhhhhhhhh...I don't know...Ooo! How about music from the Bounce Lounge! Ohhh I miss that place." Star said. Marco smiled.

"No, no. I mean...something that you could listen to while you sleep." Marco chuckled.

"Oh...I have no idea." Star replied.

"Hold on." Marco said as he tapped the screen of her phone a few times. He handed her the earbuds. "Put these in your ears." He told her. She took the earbuds and did just what Marco told her. "Are they in?"

"Yup." Star said. "I still don't know what you're doing but-" She stopped, hearing the sounds of ocean waves.

"You hear anything?" Marco asked her.

"WHAT?!" Star exclaimed before Marco flinched, shushing her gently. He took Star's phone and looked at it, noticing the volume was way too high. He turned it down immediately.

"I said...did you hear anything?" Marco chuckled.

"Oh...yeah." Star said. As she listened to the sounds in her ears, she started to relax a bit. She let out a happy little sigh. "Wow, I'm...suddenly feeling...so...laid back and...calm."

"Yup. It's what I do when I want to relax. It takes your mind off of everything...gets you in the zooooone." Marco told her. "Try closing your eyes." Star closed her eyes shut. She took a deep breath.

"Woooooooaaahhhh. You're right Marco. My brain's slowing down. Thaaaaat's right. Take a break, my busy little brain." Star said.

"Star, your brain isn't li-" Marco said before Star shushed him.

"Marco...shhhhh...relaxing." Star said to him. Marco shook his head in amusement. "You know, this reminds me of…" Star took another deep breath in and out.

"Beach day." They both said together. Star opened their eyes as they both were filled with surprise that they said the same exact thing. They both started to giggle quietly.

"Sounds like we both find Beach Day relaxing then." Marco said.

"I mean, of course, I do. It was just the two of us, watching the sunset together as you built that sandman…"

"Ahhhh yes. Juan Pablo was a work of art." Marco proclaimed.

"You named him Juan Pablo?" Star chuckled.

"What? You can think of a better name?" Marco asked.

"Yes. Sandy or Sunshine." Star said.

"For your information, my sandman is a male. Those wouldn't work." Marco laughed.

"Says you! I've met full-grown males named _Leslie_! Explain that, Mr. Know-it-all!" Star chuckled, playfully elbowing him. Their laughter calmed down after a second. "Hey, can we have another beach day? Like, a beach day 2.0…?" Star asked him, holding her hands out as if she was presenting an imaginary sign. "...just the two of us...like it was before."

"Sure. It may be just what we need since we need some relaxation in our lives." Marco said as they smiled at each other. "Speaking of relaxation, we should get some sleep. I have a feeling we're going to have a busy day tomorrow." He told Star as she laid back down.

"You're right." She smiled before sighing happily. Marco could tell she was in her own little Beach Day world. He leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the head. "Mmmmm...that made me a hundred times more relaxed." Star told him. Marco let out a small chuckle.

"Glad to be of service, m'lady." Marco laughed. "Wait...I can call you that now, right?"

"Hmmm...as long as you keep giving me kisses." Star smirked. Marco laughed some more.

"Deal." Marco replied as he got up off the bed and got onto his blow-up bed on the ground. "Night, Star." He said to her as he laid down and fell asleep a few minutes after. Star continued to listen to the ocean waves through Marco's earbuds before falling asleep as well.

* * *

Star opened her eyes, standing in front of a beach. She saw the sun setting above an ocean, glistening and sparkling from the light. She took a whiff of the air, smelling the salt coming from the water. She felt the breeze from the waves gently pushing against her face, making her hair flow in the wind. She felt as if she was in her own little dream worlds. Then she realized…

"Wait a minute...I'm dreaming again! Man, if Marco was in this dream with me it would be perfect." She said to herself.

"Well, that took you long enough to realize." A voice nearby said to her.

"Ah!" Star jumped, seeing Glossary behind her. She gasped. "Glossaryk! I _knew_ it was you!" She exclaimed. She looked down to the sandy ground. "...and I thought I was losing my mind."

"Yes. Obviously, you haven't lost your mind...it's in your head where it belongs." Glossaryk said, trying to act smart.

"You know that's not what I meant!" Star groaned before trying to calm herself. "Wait, wait, why am I going crazy over this? This is a dream. You're just part of my imagination!" Star said to herself.

"If I'm part of your imagination...make me thinner. This pudding made me bloat." Glossaryk said as he held a spoon, lifted his shirt and pointed to his stomach.

"Where did you-...ahhhh enough with the pudding!" Star exclaimed. "All I want to know is why you're coming up in my dreams all of a sudden? Aren't dreams usually...I don't know...influenced by events or...whatever? The beach is understandable. I'm listening to ocean waves right now. You, however; I haven't had a single thought or memory about you since you died!" Star said to him.

"Well, now that hurts." Glossaryk replied with a straight face. Star rolled her eyes and groaned. "And who says I died? Maybe I didn't. Have you ever thought about that?"

"Come on! Of course, you died! You're made of magic. Magic is gone so yeah...you died." Star said to him.

"Now, who said magic is gone?" Glossary kept asking questions, making her mind boggle.

"Of course magic is gone! You said 'A captain always goes down with his ship.'." Star told him.

"Yes, I did say that. It doesn't mean what was contained in that ship did as well." Glossaryk said.

"...you're playing games with my head again..." Star wondered.

"What if I'm not? What if...I'm trying to get you to see the big picture here?" Glossaryk asked her. Star yelled in annoyance.

"You've messed with my head many times before! Ahhhh! Even after magic is gone, you're still a pain!" Star said as her hands turned into fists.

"Now, here you go again saying that magic is gone. Didn't you hear anything I just said? The ship did go down but the question remains. What happened to what was inside it?" Glossaryk asked her one more time.

"What do you mean by the con-" Star thought about what he just said. "Wait, the realm of magic is the ship and what was inside the ship was the ma-..." Star started to laugh.

"Now what is it about what I said do you find so amusing?" Glossaryk asked, crossing his arms.

"Why am I even thinking long and hard about this?" Star asked herself.

"You are because you have a slight feeling what I am telling you has meaning." Glossaryk responded. "And maybe you might miss having your mentor around." He added, smirking. Star glared at him. She began walking back and forth.

"So you're saying _the_ magic escaped from _the realm_ of magic? Is that what you're telling me?" Star asked, admitting that she thought about it.

"Well, that's up for you to decide." Glossaryk said, pointing at her. Star thought about it to herself before snapping out of it again.

"Wait, wait...I'm thinking too deeply again! Why do I keep thinking about this!?" Star exclaimed as she took her hand and gently bumped her head, acting as if she could have those thoughts just drain from her hears.

"For one, you need to get Skywnne back to her own time period. You know as well as I do that the only way to get her back to her own time is with magic." Glossaryk told her. Star's eyes went big.

"Now how do you...wait, no...you're not real. You're part of my mind so of course, you would know that." Star concluded.

"Ahhhhh! Now you're getting it!" Glossaryk told her.

"Huh? Hold on...but...you just made me question if you're actually dead or not." Star said, scratching her head.

"I did that too, yes. It's relevant. I assure you." Glossaryk said.

"Soooo you're telling me you're still alive…" Star asked, unsure of a lot at this point.

"Again, that is up to you." Glossaryk said.

"You know, I wish you wouldn't speak in riddles all the time and just be clear." Star said, frustrated.

"Alright then. Maybe this will answer some questions." Glossaryk told her.

"What could you possibly do that will ans-" Star started before Glossaryk snapped his fingers, creating a giant flash of light. Star shielded her eyes from the blinding light.

The dream came to an end.

* * *

Star felt a powerful force flowing through her veins as she laid in bed. Still, in a slight dream state, she grabbed the bed with her hands, feeling something burning within her. A light started to shine from her face. Marco woke up very slightly, opening his eyes just a bit. Star's back was facing him. He saw a bright light coming from the front of her. He sat up immediately.

"What the-!" Marco exclaimed. The light suddenly faded, disappearing after a few seconds. He heard Star gasp for air, waking up. He got up, shaking her. "Star! Can you hear me?" Marco said loudly. Star turned to face him.

Marco froze at what he saw. His eyes were bulging.

"Marco? What just happened?" Star asked, breathing heavily as if she was just startled. Marco stood there silently, freaked out. "Marco...are you okay?"

"S...Star? Go...go look at yourself in the mirror." Marco told her.

"Okay, you're scaring me. What's going on?" Star asked. Marco was in too much shock to say anything. She got up as fast as she could and ran to the bathroom. She flipped the light switch and ran to her side of the countertop, looking at herself in the mirror. She gasped.

"...I...uh...wha-..." Star couldn't speak.

Her hearts were back.


	10. Code Gold

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Code Gold**

Star felt as if she couldn't move. She didn't know what to think of this. She was questioning everything in her life at this point. The fact that her hearts were back on her cheeks made her dizzy just thinking about it. Marco came into the bathroom, seeing Star in complete fear and terror.

"This is impossible. He can't still be...I mean...it makes no sense." Star said to herself.

"Star? What. happened?" Marco asked desperately.

"This just...how can there be-" Star continued as she frantically took out Marco's earbuds from her ears. Marco grabbed her and turned her around so she could face him, trying to get her to snap out of it. He interlocked his hands with hers to help her relax.

"Star? You're scaring me. What. is going. ON?!" He asked her. Her eyes were wide and filled with fear. Marco could definitely tell she wasn't handling this well. Star took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"Well...I saw...I saw Glossaryk again." Star said.

"Again?!...and I was actually talking about the hearts but-." Marco told her as he pointed to her cheeks.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, Marco!" Star exclaimed in a bit of panic. "I saw him in my dreams and he was messing with my head, telling me 'Oh, are you sure I died?' and 'Well, the ship was destroyed but what happened to what was inside of it?' and all that. And then he said 'this should answer some questions.'. I guess what he meant was…" She pointed to her hearts. "...these." Star finished.

"So what you're telling me is Glossaryk made your hearts come back?" Marco asked, scratching his head.

"Um...maybe?" Star said before yelling in frustration. "I honestly don't know what to think anymore!" She said with her hands in fists.

"Wait, wait, wait, but...how is this possible!? You _destroyed_ the magic! I saw you do it! You made it turn green and gross and-" Marco said, trying to understand this whole situation himself. Star looked down to the ground. "Star...you're not saying that-" Marco started. Star took a deep breath again.

"I don't know, Marco. Glossaryk...really makes you question a lot of things." Star said as she rubbed her arm. Marco tried wrapping his head around what Star was telling him.

"Hold on, but if Glossaryk, _the_ Glossaryk, made your hearts come back...does that mean he didn't actuallyyy..." Marco asked.

"That's the thing! He was bugging me about that too!" Star said before walking back and forth in the bathroom. An idea suddenly struck. "Wait a minute." She said as she ran out of the bathroom towards her bed.

"Whaaaat are you doing?" Marco asked as he followed Star out of the bathroom. Star picked up her cell phone from the nightstand next to Marco's bed and started a video call. She suddenly turned her camera off. A video popped up on her cell shortly after.

"Star? Are you okay sweetie?!" Moon asked on the other line. Her hair was a mess and she had an eye mask above her eyes, not to mention she looked very tired. Star gasped before sighing with relief for some reason. Marco watched, wondering what this was all about. "You do understand it's 4 AM and-...why can't I see you?" Moon asked, noticing that Star's camera was off.

"Oh uh...camera's broken." Star told her.

"Really? How did that happen?" Moon asked.

"Ummm...a bird attacked it!" Star said.

"A bird...attacked it?...What kind of bird?" Moon wondered.

"A, uh…" Star said before seeing Marco lifting his phone up in front of her, showing a picture of a bird with the name of it underneath. "Uh, a...red...caarrddinnallll." She said slowly, putting a lot of annunciation on the 'al' part. Marco gave her a thumbs up as Star shed a small smile, trying to hide the fact that she was lying.

"Oh, good heavens! Are you alri-" Moon asked before Star interrupted her.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine. I was just um... testing the camera!" Star told her as she breathed on her camera lens. She wiped it clean with her shirt. "I just wanted to see if it was working again but nope! It turns out it's still broken!" Star nervously chuckled. Moon blankly stared at her through the video feed.

"You wanted to test your camera...at 4 AM…" Moon repeated. Star nodded without saying a word, sweating up a storm as she hid what was really going on. "Couldn't you have called Marco's pho-"

"Oh, look at that I gotta um...yeah uh...okay gotta go bye!" Star said, pressing the end call button. Star started pondering as Marco looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Whyyyyy did you call your mom?" Marco asked.

"Marco, didn't you notice? No. cheek marks. It's just me! I don't know about Eclipsa and Meteora but from what I can tell, I'm the only one that has them right now!" Star said as she pointed to the hearts on her cheeks. Marco scratched his head.

"So...do you think...Glossaryk actually did this?" Marco asked.

"I don't know." Star replied. They both sat on their bed, blankly staring into space.

"Well...this is...a lot to take in." Marco said.

"I know. It's really...hard to process." Star said. They sat there for a bit as they stared blankly into space, silent as they tried to figure out what to do about this. Marco decided to speak shortly after.

"...did Glossaryk say anything to you before you went to sleep?" Marco asked.

"All he said is that this would answer some of my-..." Star realized what she had to do. "I have to go back to sleep." Star said as she quickly put her phone back on her nightstand. She lifted the blankets up and dived under them, ready to sleep, laying her head on her pillow. Marco jumped, startled.

"Wait, what?" Marco asked.

"I need to talk to Glossaryk and the only way to do that is if I am asleep." Star said. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

"Okay...but-" Marco made a command decision. "I'm staying up."

"Huh?" Star spoke.

"What if something bad happens to you? Seeing your face shine like that out of nowhere scared me stiff. I'm going to watch you just to make sure nothing bad happens to you." Marco said, pointing at her.

"Well...alright." Star said as she made herself comfortable. "You sure?" Star asked.

"Hey, I did this when you were going all 'butterfly Star', remember? Don't worry about me." Marco told her. Star sighed.

"Okay." Star turned over to her side. "Goodnight, Marco." Star said. Marco walked over to his desk, pulling the chair out from in front of it. He placed it at the left corner of Star's bed, watching her as she slept. As he looked at her, he began to worry.

"I'm here for you, Star." He said to her.

* * *

Star opened her eyes, revealing a bright blue sky above her. She stood up, surrounded by a humongous field of corn. She took a guess that she was back on Mewni, realizing she was back in her dream world again. She looked around.

"Glossaryk!" She called out. There was no answer. She started walking around, looking for an end to the long-going crop around her. "Glosaryyyyk!" She yelled once more. Suddenly, she saw a wisp of smoke coming from a mile away. She decided to follow it. Star ran as fast as she could, coming nearer and nearer towards the smoke. Once she came close enough to it, she pulled a few corn stalks to the side, revealing Glossaryk floating near a fire pit, trying to roast pudding on a stick.

"What. the heck, Glossaryk!" Star exclaimed as her arms flailed.

"Ah, you're back. Care for some roasted pudding?" Glossaryk asked before the pudding fell from the stick. "Aw…" He said under his breath.

"I don't care about your pudding! What _I_ care about is why you made _these_ come back!" Star said, pointing at her cheeks.

"You noticed, hmm?" Glossaryk said.

"Of course I noticed! How could I not notice two pink hearts on my cheeks!" Star replied loudly. "Why did you do that?" She asked him.

"You wanted an answer, didn't you? Well, I gave you one." Glossaryk replied as he made a container of pudding appear beside him.

"I mean, yes...okay, yeah, I did. Did you _really_ have to do it like this though? You could have, I don't know...just _told me_ the answer!?" Star told him sarcastically.

"Look, I'm sure they will prove useful one day. You just don't know it yet." He said to her. Star sighed, looking down as if she gave up on all of his riddles. She lifted her head up a few seconds after.

"So...you're not dead, are you?" Star asked, starting to come to some sort of understanding. Glossaryk didn't say a word. He just grinned. "...how?" Star asked. Glossaryk looked at the smoke coming up from the fire.

"I was there when you and Marco made that once last portal, bringing the two of you together shortly afterwards." Glossaryk said as images appeared within the smoke, showing Star and Marco embracing each other in the realm of magic as it crumbled down days ago. The perspective of the image made it so that Star was facing front, showing her face with glowing hearts. Marco's face wasn't visible. "You used the last bit of magic both you and Marco had in one another to create the portal that combined both your worlds. That was a risky move to make." Suddenly, the image showed Glossaryk watching the two of them. "What the two of you did not realize is that others could use that magic as well..." Star watched as the image of Glossaryk came closer to Star and Marco as they held each other. "I saw this as an opportunity." Glossaryk told her as Star watched as Glossaryk dissolved into tiny golden speckles. The specks flowed into Star's head, disappearing into her body. Star gasped.

"So you're in my head...like my brain...this one right here?" Star asked, pointing to her head.

"If you mean, 'Did I become part of your subconscious mind?'...then yes." Glossaryk replied.

"AH! What is _wrong_ with you?!" Star started hitting her head with her hand, tilting her head sideways.

"May I ask what it is you're doing?" Glossaryk asked, reacting as if this was completely normal.

"I'm trying...to get you...out of my brain!" Star replied as she continued to hit her head.

"I'm afraid that won't help. Actually, you're going to hurt yourself so just...just stop doing that." Glossaryk told her. Star stopped and sighed, trying to calm down.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just find it very unsettling that there is someone in my head that can see and hear my every tho-...hold on...you've heard my thoughts, haven't you?!" Star said, trying to make a point.

"I reside in the occipital and temporal lobe of your brain." Glossaryk told her.

"My what now?" Star asked, blankly staring at him. Glossaryk shed a straight face."

"Basically, I can see what you see and hear what you hear. I also reside in your memories. That is all."

"And you're able to talk to me in my dreams becaaauussee…" Star wondered.

"Your dreams are influenced by your memories, which is why I am in your dreams." Glossaryk.

"Oooooooohhh...okay. I'm just glad you can't hear my thoughts." Star said. "Wait...but, you said in the grandma room that you're made of magic!" Star said, pointing to Glossaryk.

"Mmmhmmm." Glossaryk replied.

"So…" Star came to a realization. "No...no no no way...how is that…" Star said to herself.

"And the answers come forth!" Glossaryk exclaimed.

"Magic's still alive, isn't it?!" Star started to jump up and down. "Ooooohhhhh okay okay okay-" Star started walking back and forth.

"You're panicking." Glossaryk told her.

"No, I'm not." Star replied.

"Now you are in doubt." Glossaryk added.

"No. I'm not! I just-" Star stopped walking. "Why is it that I'm the only one that has cheek marks? I mean, I called mom and she doesn't have them."

"I am made of magic. Thus, I have the ability to allow magic from me to flow through you, but only a limited amount of it. Your mom, Eclipse, and Meteora do not have their cheek marks because I am not living inside of them. That is why you have your hearts. However, you do not have enough magic to conjure spells just yet." Glossaryk explained.

"Okay." Star looked down to the ground. "Now you said magic is still alive-."

"Nope. You said that." Glossaryk told her. "You figured that out on your own." He said as he pointed at her.

"Fiiiiiine I said it. Whatever." Star replied as she rolled her eyes. "Hmmm...this might be the only way to bring Skywynne back to her own time." Star started to think deeply about this whole situation. She let out a sigh. "I cannot believe I'm saying this but...I need to find that magic."

"Interesting. You wanted to destroy the magic and now you want it back." Glossaryk said, trying to mess with her.

"Look, a situation came up that doesn't really leave a lot of options in terms of fixing it." Star said. Glossaryk took a look at the fire before glancing at her.

"So you want to find the magic?" Glossaryk asked her again.

"Yes. Tell me how. You're made of magic. You have to know how...and no riddles this time!" Star said to him.

"I already gave you what you need. I cannot help you any more than that." Glossaryk said to her. Star looked at her hearts.

"Are you talking about these?" Star asked as she pointed to them.

"I believe that's what I was said...yes." Glossaryk replied, trying to act smart. Star scratched the top of her head.

"I...I don't understand. How would these help?" Star wondered.

"That is up for you to find out." Glossaryk told her.

"Huh? Why?" Star asked.

"Because it is time to wake up." Glossaryk said as he snapped his fingers again. A bright light gleamed all around, making Star shield her eyes. She noticed Glossaryk waving at her as she squinted.

Star's dream ended once again.

* * *

Star's eyes opened to light shining through Marco's bedroom window, like every morning. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up. Marco was still at the foot of the bed...except he was asleep. Star groaned.

"Marco!" Star called out. Marco woke up, letting out a huge snort. He frantically looked all over the room.

"Huh...wha-..." Marco turned seeing Star awake. He groaned. "Aw man! Why do I keep doing that?!" Marco said to himself.

"It doesn't matter. I got the answers I need...well...some of them at least. Glossaryk really has to stop speaking in riddles...wait, how long was I asleep for?" Star asked.

"Oh uh...5 hours, I guess?" Marco told her.

"Wow...it's amazing how dreams feel so short when the night is so long…" Star wondered.

"So...you know why you have your hearts back?" Marco asked with excitement as he stood up from his chair, sitting on his bed next to Star.

"Yes...and no. It's complicated." Star told him.

"Wait, what?" Marco muttered.

"Look, I know how my hearts came back but...I don't why." Star told him. Marco's head hurt from the confusion.

"Star? Could you, um...care to explain..a little further?" Marco asked as he scratched the top of his head

"Okay, I'll give you the shorthand version." Star took a deep breath as she got up and walked around the room, ready to give a...sort of long explanation. "So the reason Glossaryk is still around is because while we were together in the realm of magic just before it was destroyed, Glossaryk decided to use the magic we were using to create that giant portal to become part of my mind. Now, Glossaryk is made of magic so he had magic flow through my body that made my hearts come back. But because he's made of magic that means magic still exists somewhere. So I asked him how I can find the magic he said he couldn't help me any further because he already gave me what I needed to find it, so I thought he was talking about my hearts but he wouldn't give me a straight answer so I'm going to guess my hearts are what's going to help us find the magic but-" Star took a giant deep breath again. "...I don't know exactly how they'll help me." Star finished, out of breath. Marco gave her a blank stare, trying to comprehend everything she just said to him.

"Soooooo...you're saying that magic is still alive?" Marco asked.

"Yup." Star said.

"Aaaand your cheek marks are going to help us find it?" Marco added, pointing to her hearts.

"Uh huh." Star said.

"And did I hear you say that Glossaryk's...part of...your mind…?" Marco asked, pointing to his forehead as he was a little hesitant to hear the answer.

"Yeah...I know...horrifying isn't it…" Star replied.

"Yeah...it's uh...creepy. Look on the bright side though. Magic is still alive! I mean, that's great! We can get Skywynne back to her time period!" Marco exclaimed.

"Yeah but, Marco, weren't you listening? I don't know _how_ my hearts are going to help! Glossaryk won't tell me." Star told him as she walked towards him.

"Oh, right. Glossaryk and his _riddles_." Marco added as he rolled his eyes. "So...what happens now?" Star sat next to Marco on the bed.

"Honestly? I really don't know. It's hard to wrap my head around all this." Star told him. She placed her head in her hands and sighed, trying to relax. Marco put his hand on her back, stroking it.

"Hey, we'll...we'll figure this out. I'm sure." Marco said. Star turned her head to look at him.

"You think so?" Star asked him.

"Oh, come on! Have I ever steered you wrong?" Marco asked her. Star gave him a raised eyebrow. Marco froze, lifting his hand off her back. "...what?" He shrugged.

"May I recall the time you let go of my seat and _lied_ when learning how to ride a bike?" Star reminded him.

"You know that was to give you confidence." Marco responded.

"How about the time you started reading my journal?" Star said to him.

"How could I have known it was a journal?" Marco mentioned. Star gave a slight glare.

"Really, Marco…" Star said. Marco held his breath before giving up and letting it out. "Okay, fine. Still, you know I'm right." Star shed a smile.

"I guess." She said to him. "So...what should we do? I'm out of ideas." Star shrugged before looking to the floor.

"Well, remember how on beach day we lost our way and you said to wait for a sign?" Marco asked her. Star gasped.

"Ooooooohhh yeaahhhh. You're right! We just wait for the answer to come to us." Star exclaimed confidently as she stood up.

"How long do you think that'll take?" Marco asked.

"I don't know. However long it takes, we'll find out where that magic is." Star said.

* * *

An ice cream truck sat outside of Marco's house with a satellite sitting on top of it. Inside of it, a man in a black suit and dark purple tie sat in front of a few computer screens. He wore an earpiece along with a black mask on his face, hiding his identity. He suddenly heard a voice from one of the computer screens. Soundwaves appeared on it.

"However long it takes, we'll find out where that magic is." Star's voice repeated in a fuzzy, computerized tone. The man took his earpiece and touched it, pressing a button in order to talk into it

"Mam, we have code gold. I repeat, we have code gold." The mystery man said through the mic.

"By golly! I knew it! Magic _does_ still exist!" A woman's voice said loud and proud through the computers. "It won't be long before this new world gets what it really needs; a new leader."

"Sorry, mam, but I thought that was going to be you. You never said we were getting...a new one." The well-dressed gentleman added.

"Of course it's me, you dingaling! Pay attention! You must learn from the best of the best if you want to succeed!" The woman exclaimed. "It won't be long before you and the rest of your posse get your revenge on that looney queen who lifted your ancestors away from your home long ago. Then soon, I'll finish where I left off; taking over this now changed world." A woman with purple hair and tattered clothes appeared on one of the screens.

"I'll become Mina Loveberry; the most powerful ruler this world has ever seen!" She proclaimed.


	11. Ugh...Humans

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Ugh...Humans**

"I have to admit, it's kind of cool that your hearts are back. In a way I've kind of missed them." Marco told her as he took his hand and stroked her cheek. Star placed her hand on top of his, holding it gently.

"Yeah...actually, remember when I said they were just hearts on my cheeks a few days ago? I might have fibbed. They're kind of...a part of me." Star said, happy in a way that her hearts returned. Sure, this meant something _huge_ but it was nice for things to kind of be back to normal. On the other hand, magic being back in the world was something that worried her. What if the whole world were able to use it, including humans? That would be a turn for the worst. Still, she tried to focus on the positives.

"All of us thought that. That's why I asked you if you were okay that day." Marco said, letting out a small chuckle as he let go of her cheek. Star's eyes suddenly went big.

"All of-" That's when Star realized something major. "Oh no! I can't let everyone see this! They're all going to freak out and-...and my mom! Oh, if my mom sees these? Ohhhh she's going to go crazy!" Star said in a panic.

"Yeah, you have a point! Uhhh…" Marco said, trying to think of something to hide her cheek marks. "Oh, wait! My mom's got some makeup! I've gotten pretty good at applying makeup since becoming Princess Turdina." Marco started brushing his shoulders with his hands, acting bold.

"Yeah...uh huh...Marco? I just need my cheek marks hidden...not a complete makeover." Star told him, thinking he wanted to get her all gussied up.

"Mmhmm. Mmhmm. Okay, we're going to need some primer, green concealer, some setting powder, and mayyyybe some blush if we need a little extra." Marco said as he was observing her cheek marks, naming them off as he counted with his fingers.

"Green concealer?" Star asked, wondering how that would help at all. Star wasn't an alien! Well, technically she was in a way. She wasn't one of those green giant-eyed aliens though.

"Trust me, Star. It works wonders." He replied as he wiggled his fingers as if there was fairy dust in the air.

"Well...okay." Star said. Marco's eyes lit up as he got excited to use makeup again, guiding Star over to his desk chair for her to sit in it.

"Okay...wait here." Marco said, pointing at her before walking out of his room. Once Marco was out of her sight, Star walked over to the nightstand next to Marco's bed to grab her phone. She made her way back to her seat, sitting on it and unlocking her cell. Tapping the screen, she brought up her camera to look at herself in it. She sighed, observing and touching her cheeks, feeling the pink hearts that lie on them.

"Why am I having mixed emotions about these right now?" Star asked herself as she dropped her head, groaning.

"That's something I cannot answer." A voice suddenly replied. Star gasped, quickly lifting her head back up, wondering who in the world was talking to her. She looked all around Marco's room but no one was there.

"What in the wo-..." Star stopped herself, realizing who it was. She gasped once more. "...Glossaryk! Come oooooon!"

"Well, obviously it's me. Who else did you think it was? A ghost or talking chameleon?" Glossaryk questioned. "Besides, I thought you were asking me a question." He added. Star couldn't see him since he was inside her head. She _really_ wished she could because it was really disturbing.

"Uh...no. I was talking to myself." Star said. "Wait, wait, hold on! Why can I hear you in my head?! You told me you could only 'see what I see and hear what I hear.'." She quoted him, flailing her arms about.

"Well, yes. I may have neglected to mention that I can talk to you from within your mind."

"You _neglected_ to mention..." Star repeated, getting a little annoyed.

"I don't see how this is such a problem." Glossaryk told her. Star's blood was boiling.

"Are you kidding me? I would like to know when someone can speak to me from _inside_ my head before people start to think I've gone bananas and started hearing voices! I mean, yeah I am hearing voices technically but...just...gnah! Nevermind!" Star exclaimed. She suddenly saw Marco in the doorway, staring at her blankly as he held a tupperware container filled with cosmetics.

"Uhhhhhh...are you feeling...okay?" Marco asked, hesitant because he thought Star was starting to lose it from the stress.

"Hmm?...yeah, totally...it's just...Glossayrk." Star told him as she pointed at her head. Marco raised an eyebrow, still confused. "He's talking to me from uh...inside my head."

"Ohhhh...creepy." Marco said, getting chills up his spine.

"Consider me your conscience from now on." Glossaryk said to Star.

"Shut up." Star said to him. Marco gasped.

"Hey! That's kind of rude." Marco exclaimed, a bit offended, putting his hands on his hips.

"Oh, no, no, not you!" Star reassured him. She pointed to her head. "Glossaryk."

"Oh." Marco chuckled. He walked into his room and towards Star, putting the container of makeup on the top of his desk. "Anyway, this makeup _is_ my mom's but it's brand new so there's no risk of infections or anything." He went through it, taking out a wrapped bar of soap and a washcloth. "Okay, I'm going to need _you_ …" He started as he handed her them. "...to wash your face really quick."

"Uh...why?" Star asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Makeup is best applied when your face is clean and free of oil." Marco told her.

"...really?" Star asked, unsure if that's true or not.

"Hey, trust Princess Turdina." Marco said with a cheeky grin as he pointed to himself.

Star got up and sighed.

"Well...okay. It better be worth my time, Marco." Star said, pointing at him.

"Ohohohoho...you'll see." Marco chuckled as Star made her way to the bathroom. Marco shook his head in amusement.

* * *

Star came out of the bathroom a few minutes after, wiping her face dry with a towel. Her hair was up in a ponytail and her face was squeaky clean. Marco had all the makeup set up on his desk, lined up and organized as he held a tube of primer in his hands. He turned to see Star all done and ready to go.

"Okay, Marco, thy face is clear of said 'oils'." Star told him as she pointed to it, moving her finger in a circle. "I did try removing the hearts but they wouldn't go away. Now I'm positive they aren't drawn on or anything like that." She chuckled as she shrugged.

"Well, it doesn't hurt to try. So...you ready?" Marco said as he presented his desk chair for Star to sit down again.

"Yeah. Ready as I'll ever be." Star said as she walked over to him and sat in the chair. She suddenly felt a little doubt flow through her. "Are you sure you can cover my hearts? You have no idea how much I _don't_ want my mom to know that magic is still around here somewhere." Star asked him as she looked to the ground. Marco put the primer on his desk and took her hands.

"Star?" Marco called.

"Hmm?" She muttered.

"It's going to be okay." Marco told her as Star looked up at him. "I promise." He gave her a soft smile, making her do the same. They both leaned in and gave each other a little kiss. They parted as Star took a hand and caressed Marco's cheek.

"Thanks." She told him. Marco let out a small chortle, feeling butterflies in his stomach as he felt her hand stroke his cheek.

"Well now, isn't that precious." Glossaryk muttered in her head.

"Glossaryk...shut it!" Star said. Marco guessed that it was Glossaryk speaking inside her

head again. He bore a straight face.

"He's going to be doing this a lot isn't he?" Marco asked.

"Ohhh I have no doubt." Star replied. Star let out a bit of breath. "Okay, let's do this." She

told him, placing her hands in her lap. Marco nodded, picking up the tube of primer once again.

"Alright, close your eyes." Marco told her. Star did just as she was told. This was the first time a guy has ever done her makeup. Heck, she would have thought Tom would have done it since he wears eyeliner all the time. The last person she would have expected to apply it was Marco, even if he did put it on his own face when he had to get in that purple ball gown and pretend to be a princess. As her eyes were closed, Marco took his hands and squeezed some primer out from the tube he was holding. Star suddenly felt something cold applied to her one cheek, followed by the warmth of Marco's hand. She let out a tiny sigh. Marco could tell she enjoyed his touch. He evenly spread the primer around her skin, applying it evenly. Star felt as if Marco was massaging her face, almost as if she was getting a facial. As her face was rubbed with primer, thoughts raced through her head.

"...Marco?" Star called.

"Yeah?" He responded.

"I hope you don't mind me asking but...regardless of what is going on...you know, whether good or bad or whatever...you are _always_ so positive. I mean _alllwayyys._ " Star told him.

"Well...yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Marco replied as he finished putting the primer on her face, switching it with the tube of foundation. Star opened her eyes and paused for a moment.

"It's just...how are you always like that?...seeing hope through _everything_...no matter what." Star told him as Marco dabbed a bit of foundation on his hand. He looked at Star, seeing without a doubt that she was losing faith that everything was going to be okay. From all that was going on, he understood; the humans and monsters at a disagreement, Skywynne being stuck in the wrong time period, and magic coming back? Things couldn't get any harder for her.

"Well, I have to admit. You...kind of taught me that." Marco told her.

"Wait, what?" She muttered under her breath.

"Yeah. I mean, when I first met you, you showed me how there is a bright side to...well, pretty much every little thing." Marco started pouring a small bit of the foundation in his hand, administering it to Star's cheeks. "You also taught me that a bad situation can always turn around." He told her. "Plus, spending 16 years trying to blow out Heckapoo's flame can _really_ teach you to not lose hope, you know? Anyway, you really set an example." He chuckled. Star smiled before looking to her side.

"Really? I haven't been so 'positive and uplifting' though...sorry." Star said, struggling to keep eye contact with Marco. "I'm actually, kind of scared." She felt as if she's letting Marco down in terms of keeping faith that everything is going to be okay. She wished she could be a better role model for him. She had no idea that she could leave such a great impact on a person like that. She really didn't want to blow it and ruin all that.

"Hey, I get it. You've been going through a lot. You just finished defeating a magical army of soldiers and you have to figure out how to get Skywynne back home; not to mention the whole human vs. monsters problem to deal with. _Now_ you have your hearts back unexpectedly. Seriously, there's nothing to be sorry for." Marco told her.

"He has a point." Glossaryk said inside her head. Star didn't really react as much as she agreed with what Marco was telling her. She looked back into his chocolate brown eyes and smiled.

"You're right. So...you think everything's going to be okay?" Star asked him for reassurance.

"Of course." Marco replied, taking her hand and holding it gently. "We'll get through this together, okay?" He told her.

"Okay." She replied as she took a hand and caressed Marco's cheek, letting out a happy sigh. "I really don't know what I would do without you, Marco." Star said as Marco nuzzled into her hand a bit.

"Well, you would probably spiral into complete insanity and eat your feelings out on cornshakes and sugar." Marco replied before seeing Star glaring at him. He nervously chuckled, knowing for a fact that was _not_ what he was supposed to say. "I mean...same here." He said, correcting himself. "Now, what do you say we make these hearts vanish? Well, not vanish but like-"

"Marco, I get it." Star chuckled as she closed her eyes once again, giving Marco full control of her cheeks. "Now, bring iiiit." She said to him. Marco chuckled, finding her absolutely adorable.

* * *

"Alright, just a liiitle more." Marco said as he applied some blush to her cheeks. About twenty minutes went by. Marco was almost done. All he had to do was add some finishing touches to further hide her cheek marks. He took a brush and lightly applied the pink blush, making it as if the hearts were just the rosy parts of her cheeks. He applied one more dab before putting the brush back on the top of the desk. "Aaaaand done."

"Oh my gosh! Really?" Star asked, getting excited to see the final product as she bounced in her seat.

"Go take a look." Marco said with a smile. Star quickly got up and rushed over to the bathroom, taking a look in the mirror. She couldn't believe what she saw. The hearts were completely hidden. It was like they were never there. All she saw on her cheeks was a little bit of pink blush.

"Wow, Marco! Man, you _are_ good...thanks." Star said.

"Don't thank me. Thank Princess...Turdina." Marco said as he bowed. Star giggled in response. Suddenly, he realized he forgot an important step. "Oh, wait!" Marco exclaimed as he ran back in his room, grabbing a spray can. He made his way back into the bathroom, standing in front of Star. "Close your eyes again." Marco said to her. Star did exactly as she was told before Marco applied what was in the spray can to her face. He stopped after a few seconds. Star fluttered her eyes back open.

"Sooooooo what was that?" Star asked out of curiosity.

"Setting powder. It makes it so the makeup stays on longer." Marco told her.

"Huh. You really know your stuff...you weren't kidding." Star said to him as she looked back at herself in the mirror. Marco reciprocated by spinning the spray can in his hands.

"Told you." Marco replied with a smirk. A phone suddenly started to ring, playing Space Unicorn. The two of them both checked their phones, realizing it was Star's that was ringing.

"See, now I never know if it's _my_ phone that's ringing or yours." Marco told her.

"Relax, Diaz." Star said as she checked the caller ID. It was her mom. The only difference was it wasn't a video call this time. "Again?" Star spoke as she groaned, annoyed that she had to talk to her again. She tapped the accept button before putting the phone up to her ear.

"Yes, mom?" Star said through the phone.

"Star, it's Eclipsa." Eclipsa said on the other end. She sounded in a panic.

"Eclipsa! Okay, I didn't expect you to answer." Star said before gasping, thinking that something happened to her mother. "Wait, where's Mom? Is she okay?" Star asked, worried as to why Eclipsa was speaking and not her mom. Marco's eyes grew big, hearing that it was Eclipsa on the other end.

"I'm fine. Your mother is attending to other duties in another part of the monster temple. That's not important right now though. I need you and Marco here right away!" Eclipsa told her. Star gasped, putting the phone on speaker so Marco could listen in.

"What's going on?" Star said in a serious tone.

"Turn on your television. It's the humans. They're on the news and what they are saying does not bode well for any of us I'm afraid." Eclipsa told them. Keeping Eclipse on the line, Star and Marco quickly left the bedroom and ran downstairs to the living room right away, seeing Star and Marco's parents sitting on the sofa as Skywynne sat in the recliner, watching a TV show.

"So this is a 'Soap Opera'?" Skywynne asked, pointing at the television.

"Oh, yes! They're filled with so much drama!" Rafael exclaimed, fangirling slightly. Skywynne was confused.

"But...I haven't seen a single bar of soap…" She replied, scratching the top of her head. Star and Marco hurried towards the television as Marco took the remote, changing it to the local news.

"Marco!" Angie called out.

"Shhh shh shh!" Star sounded out. As they looked at the screen, they saw the mayor once again. Flashes could be seen over and over from cameras along with dozens of microphones. Chatter could be heard in the background.

"Ms. Mayor! Ms. Mayor! Rumor has it you and your team have formulated a plan to get rid of the monsters." A news reporter asked.

"We have. We will be setting up an ambush on the so-called "monster temple" and demanding all monsters evacuate the building as well as our town." The mayor stated.

"No no no no no." Star said to herself, biting her nails in fear.

"Ms. Mayor! What will you do if they do not agree to your terms?" Another local news reporter asked.

"If they do not comply…we _will_ use force if necessary." Everyone in the living room gasped. "These monsters barged into our town without permission. They have no right to take over what is _our_ land. They will be stopped and removed…" The mayor exclaimed. "...or they will face the consequences!" The mayor finished as applause was heard.

"This...is not good." Marco said.

"As you can see, we could really use your help. You know how to handle situations such as these. You both know better than all of us." Eclipsa said through the phone.

"Do the monsters know about this?" Marco asked.

"I have warned them and asked them to prepare for the oncoming dangers that lie ahead. I haven't given them all of the details. All I told them was that the humans were coming to the temple to ask us to leave. The second part...I'm trying to avoid telling them." Eclipsa told them. She paused for a second. "Look, I'm afraid. There are children in the temple. If anything happens to any one of these monsters, I will never forgive myself." She told them. Star and Marco looked at each other for a second before Marco nodded, gesturing for Star to take the lead on this one.

"Okay, make sure all of the monsters are accounted for. Marco and I will be over there to help you. In the meantime, keep them occupied and...try to make them comfy." Star told her.

"Oh, thank you Star. I feel so lucky to have you and Marco around. I'll be waiting in the atrium when you arrive." Eclipsa replied.

"No problem. See you soon." Star said to her before hanging up. Star and Marco turned their heads to Angie, Rafael, and Skywynne.

"So...what are you going to do?" Angie asked Star and Marco. Star looked down to the ground.

"I don't know yet." Star said before groaning in frustration. "Uuuugh! Why can't people understand that monsters _aren't_. _dangerous?!_ " She exclaimed.

"Well...making movies and TV shows about how monsters terrorize people and destroy everything in their path doesn't help." Marco mentioned.

"Ugh...Earth people." Star muttered. Marco and his parents looked offended. "Except you three. You're good." She added before they smiled. Star let out a breath. "Anyway, it doesn't really matter right now. We have to go." Star added as she and Marco walked over to the front door.

"Wait!" Skywynne exclaimed, running to them. "Maybe I can tag along? I feel compelled to help and I'd rather you both not get hurt." She told them.

"Nooooo no no no. If something happens to you, it can literally affect time and possibly everything in it. You have to stay here where it's safe." Star told her. Skywynne turned her head to Marco.

"She's right, you know." Marco shrugged. Skywynne sighed, accepting that it was true.

"Alright. Well, please be careful. If something happened to _you_ both, I could possibly have no way of getting back home." She told them.

"Don't worry about us. We've been through worse." Marco said.

"Yeah, waaaayyy worse." Star chuckled. "Okay, Marco. Let's go."

"Right behind you!" Marco replied as they both walked out of the front door on their way to the monster temple. Skywynne watched them as they raced to the temple with a worried expression on her face. Angie and Rafael came over to her. Putting a hand on her shoulder, Angie tried to comfort her.

"They're going to be okay, Skywynne. They're pretty good at this." Angie told her.

"She's right. Our son is a knight of Mewni and Star saved her entire kingdom more than once. They're the perfect team." Rafael added. Skywynne looked at the two of them.

"Wow...hearing that from Marco's own parents..." Skywynne thought about that for a few seconds. "Well, if you're both telling me this, you must be right." Skywynne told them with a smile as the three of them looked out at the neighborhood.

* * *

About 15 minutes went by. Star and Marco hurried their way to the monster temple, taking to the sidewalks as they tried to get there as fast as possible. Star kept the same pace while Marco was panting, trying his best to keep up.

"Hey...Star?" Marco said, out of breath.

"What's up?" Star asked, still rushing to get to their destination.

"Do you think...we could get there...in a way other than…" Marco let out a groan. "...running?!"

"Nope! No time!" Star told him.

"Star, we would _have_... _more_ time...if we got there some other way!" Marco told her. Suddenly, they heard a beep nearby. They stopped running and turned their heads, seeing a black convertible being driven by Tom. Janna was in the front passenger seat.

"Hey. You guys need a ride?" Tom asked the two of them.

"You got my text!" Star exclaimed.

"Wait, when did you send him a text?" Marco asked.

"Oh, while we've been running." Star replied.

"Do you know that is the most _common_ cause of injury because you're not looking at where you're going?!" Marco told her, trying to make a point.

"Calm down, safe kid." Star replied, slightly amused.

"Soooooo are you guys getting in?" Janna asked.

"Let's go." Star said as she and Marco got in the back seat of the car before Tom pressed the gas pedal, driving the car once again.

"So, I just want to make sure I got this straight. The humans want the monsters gone, so they're going to break into the monster temple and force all of the monsters out?" Tom asked.

"Almost. They'll force them out _if_ they don't cooperate. They need to understand that monsters are just the same as humans and focus on who they are on the inside." Star explained.

"In other words, don't judge a book by it's cover? You know, that sort of thing?" Janna asked, trying to understand.

"Yes! Ooo, I like that. Just don't tell any of the monsters how the humans might use force to get them out. We don't want any more panic than there already is." Star replied.

"Understood." Tom replied. Star looked to her right and left, not seeing a single monster in sight. She found it weird and very unsettling. This situation is way worse than what happened when Mewni was its own world. At least she saw a sight of a monster once in a while. Now, it was like they were all in hiding. She sighed, wishing that this whole dilemma could dissolve and disappear. Marco took out his phone, tapping the web browser icon. He began typing in the search engine. Star looked over his shoulder.

"Whatcha up to?" Star asked him.

"Oh, I'm just keeping myself updated on what's going on." Marco said as he double-checked the news feed. "Nothing new, though."

"Well, keep checking." Star told him. She took a glance at Tom and Janna sitting in the front. "So...what have you two been up to lately?" Star asked, leaning her body closer to them. Tom and Janna froze before Tom suddenly lost a bit of control of the car due to his fear of Star and Marco finding out. The four of them panicked before Tom got it back under control.

"Nothing!" They both exclaimed. Star and Marco stared at them blankly.

"I mean…" Tom nervously chuckled. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Just uh...hanging out, you know." He told them.

"Huh...really?" Marco questioned, joining in on this conversation as he leaned his body forward as well.

"Yeah. What he said. Pay attention" Janna added. Star and Marco both knew they were lying. They saw them at the fireworks show. They saw how close they were. There was something going on between the two of them and Star and Marco….mostly Star...were going to make them admit it sooner or later.

"Uh huhhhhh." Star spoke as she and Marco leaned back against their seats crossing their arms. "I'm not buying it." She whispered to Marco.

"Me neither." Marco whispered back.

* * *

A few minutes later, the four of them arrived at the monster temple. They got out of the car and made their way to the escalators. As they ascended upwards, they observed the stores, noticing they were completely deserted.

"This is...kind of creepy." Marco mentioned.

"They must have heard the news and fled for safety." Janna replied.

"Why haven't the monsters heard the news though? That's what I don't get." Tom mentioned.

"There are a ton of monsters in there right now and only one television, which is in Eclipsa and Globgor's chambers." Star said.

"Wait, why?" Marco asked.

"Apparently, Globgor snores like a thousand freight trains. It's background noise." Star replied.

"Ah…" Tom reacted. Star brought her attention back to the deserted stores. The thought of all of this made Star sick to her stomach. This was the war between monsters and mewmans all over again. The only exception was that the humans were a lot stronger. She was thankful there hasn't been any bloodshed just yet. Once they made it to the top of the temple, they ran to the large doors at the entrance, being guarded by two knights; Lady Higgs and Sir Cuddles.

"Heheheeeyyyy! Long time no see! I see you chose your posts, huh?" Marco said, happy to see his fellow knight friends. Lady Higgs looked absolutely bored as Sir Cuddles frantically looked around. Marco then realized something. "Wait, I thought you were going to stay in the Neverzone and not come back!" He asked Lady Higgs

"Eh, the Neverzone was cool but I needed a break from the lightning and wraiths and stuff. I used Old Guy's scissors to come back. And actually, no. My post was supposed to be patrolling the town but ever since Mewni collided with...whatever this other place is, Queen Eclipsa's given us a temporary position." Lady Higgs told them. "She told us both to wait out here about an hour ago. She didn't tell us why but hey, we can't argue with her royal highness, you know?" She shrugged.

"I'm just happy to have a job guarding the temple. I say that's a privilege for a knight, especially a uh... _brave_ monster knight." Sir Cuddles added.

"Well, good for you guys!" Star replied.

"Wait, do _you_ guys know exactly what's going on? All we know is that humans are coming to kick us out or whatever." Lady Higgs asked.

"I really wish I could tell you more but we know as much as you do." Star shrugged.

"Yeah, we were literally told like, a half-hour ago." Janna added as she looked at her phone, pointing to Tom and herself.

"Was it a half-hour? I felt like it was more like 45 minutes to an hour." Tom wondered, scratching the top of his head.

"No, I'm sure it was a half-hour." Janna said.

"Uhhh no. Your phone's fast." Tom replied, pointing to the phone in her hand.

"Clocks on phones are always correct, Tom." Janna told him as she showed him the clock on hers. Star raised an eyebrow and interrupted their little debate.

"I'm sure if there's any updates, Eclipsa will let you know." Star told them. "Speaking of which, we need to meet her in the atrium sooooo would you mind opening the door for us?" She asked them, pointing to the giant wooden doors.

"Yeah, sure." Lady Higgs replied as she and Sir Cuddles took the door handles and pulled the doors open. Once they were open, they both turned to them. Sir Cuddles started to worry a bit.

"So...you sure I shouldn't be worried or anything?" Sir Cuddles asked. He was obviously nervous, considering he's never dealt with humans before.

"Hey, you'll be fine. Trust me. I'm sure the humans won't be hostile or anythi-" Marco said before Star started pushing her through the doors.

"Wait, what?!" Lady Higgs exclaimed

"Oookaaay! We should be going now we have a _lot_ of things to do byyye!" Star nervously chuckled as they all made their way into the temple. The door closed behind them before they stopped. Marco gave Star a look.

"What was that about?" Marco asked, crossing his arms.

"Look, they are in enough fear as it is. I feel like worrying them more does more harm than good." Star told them.

"Star, one of the things I learned while I was in the neverzone is that fear keeps you alive. It keeps you on your toes, you know?" Marco said as he hopped on one leg, switching legs every few hops.

"Well, it's too late now. We're already in the temple and the doors are closed. We may as well keep going." Tom said. Star sighed.

"You're right. We have bigger fish to fry." Star replied. "Come on." She told them as they walked further into the temple on their way to the atrium.


	12. How To Be a Leader

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 12: How To Be a Leader**

"This way guys!" Star told Marco and her friends as they made their way to the atrium to meet up with Eclipsa. Tom noticed that Janna brought a backpack with her. He wondered what she was carrying in it. He decided to get the courage to ask her.

"So...what's in the backpack?" Tom asked as he pointed at it. Janna took it off her back and unzipped it, rummaging through the inside.

"Oh, the essentials; Stink bombs, voodoo dolls…a monkey's paw but I won't show you that.." Janna told him. Tom's eyes widened. Did he just hear that correctly? With Janna, you're never sure of anything.

"Why...in the world...do you have that?!" Tom asked, quite terrified to hear the answer. He was really hoping she wouldn't take it out and show him...Tom has a weak stomach.

"Dude, haven't you read dark poetry?" She responded. Tom just gave her a blank stare.

"...what now?" Tom wondered. Seeing that Tom and Janna were holding a conversation, Marco decided to go ahead of them so he could talk to Star.

"Hey, so how's the makeup?" Marco asked in a low voice, checking Star's cheeks.

"Oh, uh…yeah. I think it's holding up." Star whispered, about to touch her cheeks.

"No no no no don't touch your face! You could smudge it!" Marco quietly warned her, flailing his arms about.

"But...but you sprayed that stuff on my face!" Star exclaimed quietly so Tom and Janna couldn't hear, pretending to spray an imaginary can.

"Star, the setting spray doesn't make the makeup indestructible. It just helps it stay on longer in case, you know, you start to sweat or something." Marco explained to her.

"Oohhhhh." Star replied.

"It isn't waterproof though so stay away from things like water and rain...and pools...you know." Marco explained to her. Star nodded.

"Gotcha." She said. Star suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder.

"What are you guys talking about?" Tom asked behind them. Star and Marco froze, hoping that Tom and Janna didn't hear what they were talking about.

"Oh!…nothing! We were just...uh..." Marco tried to come up with a lie...and fast. "We were just talking about...going…to…"

"Theeeee beach!" Star told them.

"Wait, we are?" Marco asked before Star gently elbowing him, hinting that he should play along. "...aaaare going to the beach! Yeah!" Marco said with an apprehensive smile.

"Didn't you already have beach day?" Tom asked.

"You can have more than one beach day, Tom." Star said, rolling her eyes. An idea suddenly popped into her head. "Heeeeey, you and Janna should join us!" Tom and Janna looked at each other wide-eyed before looking back at Star.

"Eh, I'm not a beach person." Janna shrugged.

"Aw, come on, Janna. I think Tom would reaaallly like you to come with him!" She stated as she got closer to Tom, nudging him with her elbow. "Huh...huh...don't you Tom? Don't you?" She smirked.

"Uhh…" Tom muttered as stiff as a statue. Star suddenly felt Marco's hand pull her shoulder back gently.

"Would you excuse us for a minute?" Marco said to them as he took Star aside, continuing to walk. "Star...what are you doing?" He asked quietly.

"Hey, we were already planning on going to the beach anyway. We talked about it the other night!" Star replied.

"I'm talking about Tom and Janna. You're playing matchmaker again." Marco told her.

"Well...I think they are a match." Glossaryk said from inside her head. Star couldn't deny it. She wanted them to be an official couple so badly. Marco knew she couldn't help it.

"Marco, they're already together. I'm playing 'the person who is trying to get them to spill their secret'...uh...maker...Glossaryk even agrees with me and you _know_ that means something!" Star told him.

"Hey, listen, I never said I agreed with your behavior." Glossaryk told her. Star looked annoyed.

"Scratch that last part." Star told him.

"Oooooookay…" Marco responded, guessing that Glossaryk just said something to Star to make her correct herself. "Look. Don't you think you're being a little too forward with it though?" Marco asked.

"Pfft, nooooo. I couldn't be any more nonchalant." Star told him, trying to act chill.

"You were nudging Tom in the ribs. Now he's frozen stiff!" Marco told her. She turned her head, seeing him standing there like he's been in the freezer for hours.

"Poor kid. Look at what you did. You traumatized him." Glossaryk muttered. Star really wanted him to be quiet right now. She couldn't help but feel that Marco was kind of right.

"...okay, yeah, maybe a little bit but…come on! Aren't you a little curious? Don't you ever wonder why they're keeping all this a secret? I mean...look at them!" She exclaimed softly. They both turned their heads, seeing them walking close together, laughing at memes on Janna's phone.

"I mean…sure...?" Marco started until he noticed Star giving him a raised eyebrow and a cheeky grin. "Okay, fine! I agree with you. I want them to tell us as much as you do. We shouldn't force it though." Marco said. "...and when I say we, I mean _you_ specifically."

"Yeah, uh-huh...like I, out of _all_ people would push it." Star said, thinking as if she wouldn't do _aaaaaaanything_ like that. Marco gave her a raised eyebrow.

"Star...you're my girlfriend. I know more than _anyone_ that you would 'push it'." Marco said to her, using air quotes. Star crossed her arms, trying to doubt it was true as she grunted. "You know I'm right." She couldn't deny it. Marco was right.

"...fine. I'll tone it down a bit...but prepare yourself, Diaz. Once they look out at those ocean waves and gaze at that colorful sunset, sparks are gonna fly, ma' man!" Star told him. The four of them kept walking through the hallways of the monster temple until coming up to another large door, leading to the atrium. "We're here." Star told them, knocking on the door.

"Uh...Eclipsa? It's us. Can we-" Star called out. The door suddenly opened on its own, revealing the atrium filled with dozens upon dozens of monsters. Families of them were huddled together with food and blankets, taking refuge within the walls of the temple. The atrium echoed with the voices of chatter and crying monster children.

"Wow." Marco responded under his breath. "It's like almost every single monster is taking shelter here."

"No, I saw the streets of town. They're all in here, I bet." Star said.

"So where's Eclipsa?" Janna asked. Star looked around.

"I...don't know." Star replied. They went farther into the large room, searching everywhere for her. It was hard to navigate around since every inch was occupied by monster families. They all had to keep saying 'sorry' and 'pardon me' every minute or so. Wondering where in the world Eclipsa was, Star suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. She jumped, startled.

"Ah!" Star yelped. She turned, seeing her mother standing beside her. "Mom!" Star exclaimed, grabbing her in a big hug.

"Hello, Star. Oh, I'm so happy to see you!" Moon said, embracing her daughter. Marco, Tom, and Janna saw Star talking to Moon, making their way towards them.

"Hi, Moon! Uh...where's Eclipsa?" Marco asked.

"Yeah, she said she would meet us here." Tom added.

"I know. Eclipsa sent me here instead. She got caught up in the strategy room." Moon said as she turned around. "Come with me." She told them. They did what they were told and followed her. They made their way to a hallway at the left side of the atrium, walking past even more monster families. Star's heart felt hardened seeing all of these monsters having to survive behind these stone walls. They should be in their own homes; not cooped up without a warm bed or home-cooked meals. Moon took notice to Star's troubled look.

"So...how are things back in town?" Moon asked, trying to derail her from all of the worry.

"Oh, uh...good...good...everything's good." Star nervously chuckled, even though things are definitely chaotic right now. She wasn't going to tell her mother about Skywynne or the hearts. Moon had enough to deal with as it is.

"Yeah. We're good." Marco added. "It's...really great having Star around." Marco said, gazing at her. Star looked at him with a smile.

"Well, I'm glad." She told them before glancing at Tom. "Glad to see you're safe, Tom. I was worried about you being out there amongst humans." Moon said to him.

"Oh, uh...yeah, they think this is stage make-up." Tom chuckled. "But yeah...thank goodness for being half-mewman, am I right?" Tom shrugged.

"Yes. I suppose it is." Moon said to him with a smile.

"So...mom...anything I should know? Like, any new threats or..." Star asked.

"Well, thankfully, nothing has changed. At least that is what I know. Eclipse might know more though. All I am aware of is that the humans are still coming to force all monster kind out of this temple. Without magic, we don't know what to do. The humans are stronger than us now." Moon explained. "Marco, do you know anything about human weaponry? We need as much information as we can possibly gather so we can defend ourselves." She asked him.

"Uh...kind of? You can find a lot about it online though." Marco told her as he took his phone out of his pocket, pointing to it.

"Online? What is an 'online'?" Moon asked.

"It's something called the internet. Seriously, I've searched how to turn a burrito into a cake and I found results." Star told her.

"Aaaand why would you search that?" Marco wondered, finding her amusing

"Duh...so you can make it for one of our date nights!...but this one would be with sugar." Star told him.

"I'm not eating a sugar burrito cake, Star." Marco told her.

"Woah, Diaz…who said you were gonna eat it?" Star asked him.

"Anyhow, Marco, if you could find anything, it would help us tremendously." Moon said.

"Oh, right. Will do." Marco said, saluting. The group suddenly came to a wooden door.

"Ah, we're here." Moon told them. Star looked at it, confused.

"Why do I get the feeling the strategy room wasn't here before?" Star asked, pointing to the door. Moon turned to face her.

"That's because it wasn't. The merging of Earth and Mewni rearranged many rooms in the monster temple, including this one." Moon explained.

"Huh...it's lucky my house didn't get all rearranged." Marco said.

"That's because your house didn't combine with a strip mall, Marco." Star told him.

"...right." Marco responded. Moon turned back around, opening the door, revealing a table surrounded by both mewmans and monsters alike. Some of them were soldiers while others were just average everyday people or monsters. Eclipsa was sitting at the head of the table. She turned her head, seeing the five of her comrades standing at the doorway.

"You made it! Oh, I'm so relieved." Eclipsa told them, holding a hand to her heart. "Oh, I see you brought friends!" She said as Tom and Janna waved. "Hello!" She added as she waved.

"Hey." Tom and Janna responded.

"We, uh...tried looking for you at the atrium...wait. Are Globgor and Meteora okay?" Star asked.

"Yes. They're in our bedchambers safe and sound. You'll be able to see them in due time, I promise." Eclipsa told her. "But…" Eclipsa sighed. "Oh, Star, I wish I wasn't the bearer of horrible news but...we just had an update on the upcoming attack." Eclipsa said to them. Marco immediately took out his phone, bringing up the local news feed. Star, Tom, Janna, and Moon all came behind him to see what was on his phone. A video started to play, revealing a news reporter in a suit and tie outside on the streets of town. The loud roaring of engines could be heard along with the beeping of cars.

"As you can see behind me, a line of tanks, police cars and army jeeps are making their way to what the monsters call the Monster Temple. Reports indicate that they have what is necessary in case a monster decides to attack." The news reporter said as he took his finger and held the earpiece in his ear closer, listening to who was on the other end.

"Seriously!?" Star said, absolutely irritated. "What do they think they're going to do?! Lift one of those things and throw it at them?! These monsters are harmless!" Star yelled in frustration.

"Now we are getting confirmed reports that the FBI is also on their way to further assist in the situation." The news reporter added.

"Oohhhhhhhh that's not good." Marco added in a distressed tone of voice.

"Agreed." Janna added

"What's the FBI?" Tom asked.

"Allow me." Janna said as she walked in front of them, gesturing for everyone to follow her to the table. Janna took out her laptop from her backpack and put it on the tabletop. After dropping her backpack on the floor, she opened the laptop up and began typing, bringing up a few command prompts. All of the mewmans and monsters came behind Star and the rest of the gang to observe. All of a sudden, a program came up in neon green and black. In the middle of it bore the letters 'FBI'.

"The FBI; AKA. The Federal Bureau of Investigation." A ton of confidential files came up on the screen.

"Wait, how are you getting all this inf-" Tom started.

"No no no no...don't even ask." Marco told him, urging him that he doesn't want an answer to his question. The safe kid inside him was going insane seeing Janna being able to obtain all of this classified information.

"Anyway, their main goal is to enforce the law, bring justice to those who don't follow it, and protect the country at all costs." Janna continued.

"Which meeeeaaans…" Star asked.

"They're the head honcho's Star." Marco simply put it. "The big kahunas...the big cheese-"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it, Marco." Star replied.

"They are one of the most powerful government agencies in the entire country. You do _not_ want to mess with these guys. They can bring you down in no time flat if you don't cooperate." Janna explained.

"That's a bit intimidating now, isn't it?" Eclipsa responded before turning her head to Star and Marco. "So...what should we do?" She asked Star. Everyone turned to look at her, putting Star on the spot, making her feel a little uncomfortable. She knew that she had to act like she knew what she was doing though. Star took a deep breath before speaking.

"How far away are they?" Star asked. Janna brought up a video feed, showing the town and the government vehicles' pinpoint location.

"Looks like they're close...20 minutes away tops." Janna replied.

"Eclipsa, have you guys got a plan yet?" Star asked.

"Well...we did think we could talk to them. I'd rather not start a war, being that we just finished going through one already. I would also like to avoid any violence if at all possible." Eclipsa told her. "But we never decided who would be the first to speak to them."

"I think…" Marco started as everyone turned to him. It made him a little nervous being on the spot. "Uh...I think more than just one of us should go out there. I mean, we are stronger together" He glanced at Star with a smile. "I learned that very recently." Star smiled back at him. Marco did have a point. If she, Marco, and their friends and family didn't ban together to destroy the magic, they wouldn't have been able to stop Mina and save all of Mewni. Star nodded her head, agreeing with him.

"He's right. We _are_ stronger if we do this together." Star said. "Okay, when they arrive, we'll talk to them. We need to show them that humans and monsters aren't that different! I proved that to the Mewmans. I can do it again."

"You mean we…" Marco took her hand. "can do it again." He told her. A worried Star turned into a confident one.

"Okay...Marco? You and I are going to go out there first and negotiate with them." Star said. "We know the monsters best so...we should give it a go."

"Star, are you sure? I can speak to them. Besides, I'm married to a monster and have a monster daughter. I know monsters very well." Eclipsa told her.

"-which is exactly why you shouldn't go out there. You have a family to look after and if anything happens to you, they'll have one less person to help take care of them. Meteora needs her mother and Globgor needs his wife. We can handle this." She said, taking her thumb and pointing to herself. Star glanced over at her mother, who looked as if she was feeling overwhelmed. "Mom? Are you okay?" She asked her.

"Well...look, Star. After seeing you drop back into the realm of magic when it was crumbling down…" Moon started to tear. "It terrified me. I thought I lost you for good. You won't understand until you bear a child of your own one day but...one of the worst fears for a mother is losing her child." Moon told her. Star took her and embraced her mom, giving her reassurance.

"I'll be fine, mom. Trust me, I've been through a lot worse." Star said. Marco came over to help comfort Moon.

"I'll be right by her side." Marco told her as Star let go of Moon. "Nothing will happen to her. I'll make sure of it." He added as he put an arm around Star. Moon looked at the two of them, seeing how powerful they were together. They were so confident and so uplifted, almost as if they knew everything would be okay. Moon gave them a soft smile. She was so glad Star met Marco more than a year ago. Without him, Star could have never been the woman she turned out to be today. Moon nodded.

"Alright." Moon told them. She put a hand on both their shoulders. "Just...be careful."

"We will." Star said as she gently took her mom's hand and held it. Marco took out his phone, looking at the time.

"We should get out there." Marco said. Moon, realizing it was time for them to go, let go of Star and Marco.

"Okay...well, we'll see you out there. Let's go Marco" Star said before she and Marco started making their way out through the strategy room entrance.

"Oh, Star! Marco! I have something for you." Eclipse exclaimed, gesturing for them to follow her over to a wardrobe at another corner of the room. "Now, I did find these in one of the wardrobes in the temple. I felt now would be a good time to give them back to you so I moved them here." Eclipsa said as she took the door handles and pulled them, opening the wardrobe and revealing two suits of armor. One of them was from Marco's knighting ceremony. The other set of armor was Star's when she booby-trapped the football battlefield that one time.

"Heeyyy! I've been looking for this!" Marco said as he grabbed the suit and put it on over top of his clothes. Star ran over to a divider near the wardrobe. Since she was wearing a dress, she had to change into the undergarments the armor came with. Star came out dressed in her armor a second after. "Okay, let's go." She said.

"How did you get changed so fast?!" Marco asked, dumbfounded.

"No time to explain. They're going to be here soon and we need to be ready for when they do." Star told him, acting very serious and focused. "Thanks for the armor, Eclipsa."

"You're welcome. Stay safe!" Eclipsa replied as Star kept a steadfast look on her face. She turned to the crowd of mewmans and monsters.

"Does everyone understand the plan?" Star asked them one more time before heading out.

"Yes, 'mam!" They all said, bowing slightly.

"Good." Star said. She cleared her throat. "I trust you all to follow it and...uh...be ready to defend the temple in case any danger comes up. You got it?"

"Yes 'mam!" The group said once more, saluting. Marco noticed Star was a bit frantic and acting far unlike her normal self, wondering if she was taking any of this well at all. He already knew it was stressing her out. Marco also knew in situations like this, she would try to act like she wasn't afraid of anything. He really wanted to talk to her. However, he decided to wait until they were outside.

After Eclipsa watched Star and Marco head out, she took a glance at Moon, who still looked a little worried. She walked over to her to comfort her. "They'll be fine, Moon." Eclipsa told her. Moon didn't respond. She just took a deep breath in and out, trying to calm down.

* * *

About 15 minutes went by. Star and Marco stood outside the entrance to the monster temple, ready for what was to come. Star kept a close watch while Marco brushed some dust off of his armor. He took a look at Star, who was watching her surroundings like a hawk to its prey. He wondered if she was starting to crack. She usually tries acts brave and tough when she knows or feels that she has to be. He decided the best thing was to talk to her right now.

"Star? You think we could-" Marco started.

"Focus, Marco! Be on your guard!" Star ordered. Marco shook his head in amusement before letting out a sigh.

"You know...you're doing it again." Marco said to her. Star kept her eyes squinting, searching for the humans as she faced front.

"Doing what?" Star asked.

"...acting strong when you know you don't have to be." Marco said, reminding her that she really doesn't have to act that way around him.

"You know he's right, sport." Glossaryk said from inside her mind. Star loosened her posture a bit, realizing Marco was right.

"Well...I mean, can you blame me?" Star said as she turned to face him. Marco thought right. She was stressed.

"You wanna talk about it?" Marco asked her, being supportive. He knew talking things through with Star and letting her emotions out helped her the most. Star let out a breath.

"I learned from the war on Mewni that...being weak and running away from problems only leads to even more of them. I set an example after saving the kingdom and because of that, I have to be brave and...and-." Star told him. Marco could see that she felt pressured. He got closer to her.

"You know, It's okay to be scared." Marco told her.

"No...no, no...it's not. Leaders aren't scared. They're fearless and...and-" Star replied, denying that having fear is acceptable.

"Woah, wait, who said you were a leader?" Marco asked.

"No one said I was but...Eclipsa's looking to me to make the decisions right now because she doesn't know what to do. So it is my job to act like the courageous one so everyone else can be too." Star said. Marco took her hands in his to help her relax.

"Star...what is Eclipsa?" Marco reminded her.

"Uhhhh…a queen?" Star replied, wondering why Marco was asking when she already knew.

"Remind me...what is a queen exactly?" Marco added with a smirk. Star saw the point Marco was trying to make.

"...so?" Star muttered. She kept trying to think Marco didn't know what he was talking about but...she couldn't.

"Everyone sees you as a brave person and a courageous leader. In fact, I've heard from a lot of mewmans that some of the greatest leaders of Mewni have been afraid once in a while." Marco said to her.

"You think so?" Star asked, wanting to hear more of his words of wisdom.

"I can prove it. I could name one on the top of my head right now." Marco told her.

"Okay. Who then?" Star challenged him.

"Well...you." Marco told her. Star jumped.

"Pfft, come on. Now you're just flirting." Star said, feeling flattered as she giggled. She looked away for a second before gazing into his eyes again. "...you really think so?" Star asked, wanting to hear more.

"It's not just me that thinks so. Everyone does. Trust me. I've heard it with my own ears." Marco said, pointing to them.

"Well...that actually makes me feel a bit better...you know, knowing people see me that way." Star smiled. She suddenly grabbed Marco in a hug, putting her ear to his chest. Marco was frozen, trying to realize what she was doing. "You know your heartbeat relaxes me. Just let it happen." Star told him. Marco let out a small chuckle.

"Okay." Marco responded as he took his arms and wrapped them around her.

"I really wish I could hear it better through this armor right now. Come oooooon heartbeat." Star said, still holding in a little bit of stress as she grabbed Marco tighter. Marco could tell she was still in a slight funk.

"Look, you're a great leader to begin with: queen or not." Marco told her. "And I'm sure if we have to rule together someday, we'll-." Marco started without thinking. Star's eyes widened as she gasped.

"Wha...what did you just say?" Star asked, making sure she heard that right. She let go of Marco, looking right into his eyes. Did she hear that right? Marco's face filled with terror, realizing what just came out of his mouth.

"Uh...uhhh...I uh…I mean you!" Marco said, trying to correct himself...and fast.

"No...no no no you said we! You...said...we!" Star exclaimed, flabbergasted. It sounded like he was saying they were gonna...

"Well...uh…I-" Marco started before they heard noises in the distance. They looked to their side, seeing flashing blue and red lights. Sirens were suddenly heard, along with the roaring of engines. Star and Marco knew exactly who that was.

"They're here." Marco told her.

"Ahhh poop." Star said.


	13. And So It Begins

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 13: And So It Begins**

A dozen army jeeps and 3 giant tanks were led by many police cars. Star and Marco watched as they parked in front of the temple. Out of the vehicles came a multitude of army men and police officers covered in body gear and armed with tranquilizer darts and tasers. Star and Marco couldn't believe how many of them there were. There had to be at least 75 to 100 of them.

Star started shaking. Her heartbeat began to quicken. Could they really do this? It was the two of them against...well, more than they could count at the moment. Marco said it was okay to be afraid but...could being afraid make herself weaker? She knew Marco said fear can keep someone sharp and focused but that was in the Neverzone. This was a territory she had never traversed before. Still, Marco was with her. He knew humans better than she did. I mean, it was in own kind, after all.

"You ready?" Marco asked her as he watched the soldiers position themselves at the ready. Star didn't respond. He turned his head to look at her. "Star?" He called. Star was frozen stiff.

"Marco...you know how you said it's okay to be scared? Well…" Star swallowed. "I'm scared...totally...totally scared." Star told him with a shaky voice. Marco frowned seeing her terrified like this. All he's ever wanted is to see her happy. He couldn't wait till this whole fiasco was over and done with. He looked down at her hand and took it in his, feeling it tremble as he held it. "We're going to be okay, Star. Nothing's going to happen to us. I promise."

"How can you be so calm right now?!" Star questioned him.

* * *

Down at the ground, a policeman came out of one of the vehicles. He ducked down looking through a pair of mini binoculars. He grabbed his radio from the side of him.

"Sir, we have a 10-23. We are at the target site." The policeman said through the radio.

"10-4. Copy that. Waiting for your signal." A woman said on the other side of the radio. A man in black body gear came over. He was a general of high rank, considering that he had a few badges on the left of his chest, pinned to his camo jacket.

"What's our status?" The general asked.

"Well sir, there are no monsters visible from what I can tell. We are clear." The policeman

replied.

"That's to be expected. They're most likely inside." The general told him, taking out a pair

of his own binoculars. "Give the order."

"Yes, sir." The policeman responded. He took his radio in his hand once again. "You are

clear to proceed into the temple."

"10-4. Copy that." The woman replied. The general looked through his binoculars really quick until something caught his eye. Through the lens, he could see Star and Marco in their suits of armor standing at the large door to the monster temple, holding each other's hand. The general bent down quickly to grab the radio from the police officer.

"10-12! 10-12! Stand by. I repeat. Stand by!" The general said. The police officer looked confused.

"Sir?" He called out.

"There are children on the premises. I need a megaphone now!" The general exclaimed.

"Okay, what's going on down there?" Marco asked himself, scratching his head.

"Why are you asking me? I thought you would know!" Star replied nervously.

"Star, the internet doesn't tell you everything when it comes to special forces." Marco

squinted his eyes, trying his best to find out what was actually happening. "Wait, someone's grabbing a megaphone."

"Boy with the short brown hair and girl with the...wow, um, extremely long blonde hair! Please make your way down the temple nice and slowly!" The general said through the megaphone. Star shook her head.

"Pfft...they can't even speak loud enough. I have no need for a device like that. These guys are nothing but a bunch of wimps." Star said to herself, cracking her knuckles and neck.

"Wait, what are you-" Marco started before hearing a piercing loud voice coming from Star.

"NO WAY WE'RE COMING DOWN! WE'RE HERE TO PROTECT OUR MONSTER BRETHREN!" Star yelled, quite powerfully. Marco heard nothing but ringing for a minute.

"Ow!" Marco said, holding his head. "Star!"

"Oh, sorry boo." Star said to him. The soldiers all looked around at each other, clueless on what they just heard...or at least tried to hear.

"Miss, we need you to come down. We are unable to hear you." The general spoke through the megaphone once again. "She does understand she can't hear us, right?" He asked a police officer next to him.

"I don't have a clue, sir." The police officer replied.

"Oh, come on. I-" Star prepared herself. She took a large breath before realizing she might hurt Marco's ears again. She took her hands and covered them up for him.

"What the-" Marco started.

"I AM NOT COMING DOWN UNTIL YOU GIVE THE MONSTERS THE FREEDOM AND EQUALITY THEY DESERVE! IF YOU NEED ME TO SPEAK LOUDER, I WILL!" Star yelled even louder than before.

"...she doesn't understand, sir." The police officer told the general. The general lifted up his megaphone once again.

"Again, we cannot hear you. You must come down where you are safe." The general added.

"Star, they can't hear you. He said so...twice." Marco told her.

"I WILL NOT BE MOVED! I WILL NOT BE OVERTAKEN!" Star wailed. Marco took her hands off his ears and turned to face her.

"Star, would you rather have us come down _there_ or them come up _here_...where the monsters are...right in there..." Marco said as he pointed to the door behind them. Star harrumphed.

"Fine." She said as she covered Marco's ears once again. "WE WILL COME DOWN IF YOU AGREE TO OUR TERMS!" Star exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, miss?" The general said once again through the megaphone. Marco groaned and rolled his eyes, taking Star's hands off his ears again.

"Come on." Marco said, grabbing her hand and leading her down the escalator. He then realized it might be a while before they reach the ground. He decided to let them know. Marco covered Star's ears really quick. "WE ARE GOING TO BE A FEW MINUTES!" Marco yelled.

"Can you repeat that, sir?" The general asked through the megaphone.

"Oh my word, can they just-...NEVERMIND!" Marco exclaimed as they descended down the escalator

"What?!" The general added. Marco groaned.

"I give up." Marco told himself.

* * *

While Tom and Janna went to assist in taking care of the monsters throughout the temple, Moon and Eclipsa looked through a small window, watching what was taking place down below. They caught sight of Star and Marco making their way down the escalator. Moon started to panic.

"Wait, what are they doing? They're leaving the temple!" Moon panicked.

"I think they're going to talk to the humans, actually." Eclipsa corrected her. "Didn't you hear them say they couldn't hear Star?"

"Well, my daughter knows she could have yelled louder. She's like her father." Moon said.

"Speaking of which, where is River?" Eclipsa asked, turning to look at her.

"Oh, I saw him the other day. He's fine. He's just...scouting out the land. He said he would be gone for a while but...he never said when he was coming back." Moon said as she looked out at the blue sky, distraught. Eclipsa could tell by the look on Moon's face that she thinks something happened to her husband. She tried to console her friend.

"You know, I could have my guards go out and you know...look for him." Eclipsa told her.

"No...it's quite alright. My husband has been through much worse than this. You weren't there but he was "levitatoed" by Ludo into the sky a while ago. He came back safe not too long after. I'm not too worried about him." Moon said, trying to keep her hopes up. Eclipsa smiled at her.

"Levitatoed? What is...well, anyway, as I said, if you need me to send out my guards, just let me know." Eclipsa told her.

"Thank you." Moon responded as she smiled back. She looked back down to the ground, seeing Star and Marco almost near the end of the escalator. "Oh, looks like they made it down." She muttered before Eclipsa looked in the same direction.

* * *

Star and Marco finally arrived where the general and the rest of the police and soldiers were waiting for them. The general walked towards the two of them, softening his face and playing it cool.

"Hello there. May I ask for your names, children?" The general asked.

"Not until you give us yours, big guy." Star said, playing everything on her terms alone. She wasn't going to let these humans dictate what happens in this situation. Star had a mission; to give these monsters freedom. Marco could tell by her behavior that she was serious about all this. One moment she was terrified. The next? She was bold. Marco decided to play along.

"And we're not 'children', by the way. We're almost 16." Marco said proudly. The general could tell that they weren't playing around.

"Mmhmm...well, I am called General Dinkleberry. It's nice to-" The general started.

"Wait...so like...as in a…" Star asked before she and Marco started laughing super hard.

"Yes...I know. I _know_ my name is hilarious but-" The general asked, a little annoyed. They tried talking. They were laughing so hard that they were having trouble though.

"Sorry! I'm sorry, sir it's just...your...your-!" Marco snickered, tearing up from the hilarity of his name.

"I can't breathe Marco! Oh...oh, my tummy!" Star giggled, holding her stomach.

"Alright, I get it. Look, kids-" The general started. Marco suddenly stopped laughing

"Woah...dude, I said we aren't kids." Marco said.

"That's right!...so you may call us Supreme Commander and Formidable Knight with the Adorable Mole on his Cheek." Star said before Marco covered her mouth.

"Star and Marco, sir. She's a little overconfident right now." Marco said. Star took his hand and removed it from her mouth, slightly glaring at him.

"Well, Star, Marco, you'd best be leaving the area. We're on a strict order of business here and the last thing we want is the two of you to get hurt." The general told them. Star put her hands on her hips.

"Well, we're not letting that happen. We see right through your plans, General Doodooberry." Star told him, pointing to the general's face.

"Dinkleberry." The general corrected her.

"Same thing. Listen, these monsters deserve to do what they want. They shouldn't have to be seeking refuge in the temple out of fear!" Star told him straight up.

"Who pray tell told you this...Star, is it?" The general asked.

"Correction. We pray tell tell you this, sir." Marco said, pointing to General Dinkleberry. He suddenly repeated that sentence in his head, making a confused face and turning to Star. "Wait, did I say that right because...that sounded weird to me."

"Doesn't matter. The point is, we're friends with the monsters. We know them better than any of you 'humans'...well other than Marco here." Star said, putting a hand on Marco's shoulder.

"Thank you, m'lady." Marco said as he bowed, trying to present himself.

"Not in public, Marco." Star told him, warning him not to call her that with people around.

"Sorry." Marco replied.

"Anyway, they are more like you than you think! We can prove it to you!" Star told the general. The general was surprised to hear this. He made a command decision.

"You must come with me." The general told them, gesturing to come with them.

"We're not going anywhere until you tell us where you're taking us...sir." Marco told him, scowling at him for not listening to the two of them.

"We need you to give us some information about the monsters. We just need you to talk to someone and tell us everything you know." The general told them.

"Woah woah woah, buddy! If you're going to do anything to our friends while we talk to whoever this person is, then count us out!" Star said as she stood there with crossed arms.

"I give you my word as a general of the United States Armed Forces. Nothing will happen to the monsters unless they use force upon us." The general told them. Star glared at the general. Should she trust him? That's the thought that raced through her head over and over. Marco suddenly spoke.

"You've got a deal." Marco spoke.

"Marco! What are you doing?" Star exclaimed.

"If he broke that oath, he would lose his job. The mayor said they would use force if the monsters _didn't_ cooperate. He can't go against the mayor." Marco explained. Star took a deep breath.

"Fine. Bring us to this so-called 'someone'." Star told the general before they began to walk farther away from the temple and towards the loads of vehicles. Star, being extremely sneaky, took out her cell phone and brought up the messaging app, sending her mother a text.

_Whatever you do, do not attack the humans. We're making a deal with them. Love you._

Star pressed the send button before putting her cell back in her pocket. The general took out his cell phone from his pocket and started dialing a number before putting the cell to his ear.

"Mam, it's the general. I'm bringing you two witnesses that might help you further with your investigation of these monsters. They say they are friends with them."

"That's good news, general. Send them over." A woman said on the other line.

* * *

Moon suddenly felt her cell phone vibrate. She took it out and unlocked it, revealing a text from Star.

"Whatever you do...do not attack the humans. We're making a deal with them...hmm...I guess everything's working in our favor." Moon said with confidence. Eclipsa looked at the text and smiled.

"Aww, she added an 'I love you' note." Eclipsa said as she held her hand to her heart. "Well, I'll go to inform everyone." She said, walking away from the window. Eclipse stopped for a second and turned to Moon. "Your daughter is a lot like you, you know. She's just as smart and without a doubt just as clever." She told Moon with a smile before walking away. Moon turned back to look outside.

"Huh...I suppose she is." Moon said, proud of her only child.

* * *

Star and Marco were brought by the general to a large black truck in the very middle of the dozens of cars. The general opened the door to the cargo space, revealing a desk and a mid-aged woman with long brown hair and blue eyes in semi-formal wear sitting at it. In front of the desk were two black swivel chairs. On the walls in front of her were computers, showing surveillance outside the truck for security reasons. The general saluted.

"Mam, these are the witnesses I informed you about a few minutes ago." He told her.

"Wonderful. Star and Marco, is it? Please, come in and take a seat." The woman said to them very kindly. Star and Marco looked at each other with worried faces before walking farther into the cargo space of the truck, taking a seat in the two black chairs.

"Thank you, general. That'll be all." She said as the general saluted once more, walking out and closing the doors behind him. She then turned to Star and Marco. "Alright, I should probably introduce myself. My name is-" She started.

"Wait, wait, don't tell me, it's something like...haha...like, Mrs. McDoodleBum, right?" Star laughed. Marco gasped.

"Star!" Marco called out, wishing she didn't say that. She was acting way too bold.

"Um...well, no." She reached out a hand. "Actually, my name is Ms. Lily. Nice to meet you." She said with a smile. They were a little shocked. She wasn't like the police officers or any of the other soldiers outside. She seemed kinder, less serious, and _definitely_ friendlier. Marco smiled and took her hand to shake it

"Marco Diaz, mam. And this is Star Butterfly." Marco told her as he looked at Star. He could see that Star was still a little skeptical. She still decided to shake her hand out of respect.

"Well, it's a pleasure." Ms. Lily said.

"So...you needed to talk to us?" Marco asked.

"Why, yes. See, I didn't plan the invasion of the monster temple. All I'm here to do is gather information and investigate what is happening. Along with that, I want to make sure that fairness and equality are enforced, no matter who is involved; monster-kind or not."

"Wait...you do?" Star asked. Was this lady serious? She kept trying to deny it. I mean, she was a human working for the government. Could someone like this really be for monsters? No...it couldn't be possible. Nevertheless, Star wanted to hear more from her.

"Absolutely. I think like the Native Americans thought when we first settled on the shores of America. We welcome all who come here with kindness and respect, no matter who they are or where they're from." Ms. Lily told them.

"Oh riiiight, you're talking about the settlers on the Mayflower in 1620!" Marco said, remembering what he had learned in his history classes back at Echo Creek Academy.

"Oh, like the Mewmans and the stump!" Star said...before realizing she spoketh thy Stump's name. "...oh hail the stump." Star whispered.

"No, Star. This is a little different." Marco told her.

"Yes, Star. Weren't you listening?" Glossaryk muttered from inside Star's head. Star completely forgot he was there. She really wanted to tell him to quit it.

"I'm sorry...did you say 'mewmans'? I got word from Echo Creek Academy's principal about a girl from a place called...Mooni?" Ms. Lily tried to say.

"It's Mewni...actually." Star corrected her.

"Well, nice to meet a girl from another dimension, I must say." Ms. Lily said with slight excitement. "I've always been interested in dimensional travel and whatnot."

"Oh, you have no clue." Marco chuckled. Star was starting to trust this woman. She had the personality of someone you could tell anything to without having to worry about consequences.

"Anyway, I was wondering, since you both know these monsters so well, could you tell me about them?" Ms. Lily asked. "Maybe you can show me some photographs of them to show me what they are like?"

"Oh, well, I might have some pictures on my cell phone! Would you uh, mind if…" Marco asked before taking his cell out.

"By all means, Marco." Ms. Lily told him. As Marco reached in his pocket to grab his cell phone, Star decided to give some details.

"Well, let me start off by saying that monsters are just as friendly as mewmans and humans alike. They have families just like ours, they can talk. They speak english, as a matter of fact. We know this one monster named Buff Frog who has like, more than a dozen frog children."

"His name is...Buff Frog? So he's a...muscular frog then?" Ms. Lily asked, scratching her head

"Actually...yes." Marco said, realizing there was actually a point to his name.

"Oh, and they don't just say things like "blarrgh" or "grrrrr" or whatever all those monsters stereotypes make it out to be." Star said, trying to impersonate fake monster noises.

"Well, that's a shocker to me at least. Those monster movies steered me wrong. That's good news though. We'll be able to communicate with each other then!" Ms. Lily said. Marco jumped, opening a file on his phone.

"Oh! I found something! This was from a game called cornball that was played back on Mewni." Marco said as he turned the cell phone to Ms. Lily, showing a video of all the monster and mewman children playing cornball. "See? They are just like us. Same personalities, the same sense of fun, the same...almost everything, basically." Marco told her. Ms. Lily smiled.

"Well, would you look at that." Ms. Lily said. "Hey, Marco, would you mind if I upload this video onto my laptop for evidence?"

"Go right ahead, Ms. Lily!" Marco told her. "You know, no offense but I didn't expect someone from the FBI to be as nice as you. Usually what I hear is that people in the FBI are just cold and mean." Marco told her.

"Well, I didn't use to be in the FBI. I started off as a preschool teacher." She said.

"Ooooooooh that explains it!" Marco said.

"Yes. I embrace the differences I see in others, even monsters because, well, differences make us who we are as people. That's what I told the kids I taught all the time." Ms. Lily told them.

"Listen to her, Star. Embrace my differences. Accept the fact that I'm talking in your mind and enjoooy it. I'm fun! I'm hip! I'm cooool." Glossaryk told Star. Star tried to pretend as if nothing and no one was talking to her.

"Ms. Lily, seriously, we can't thank you enough for this. You're helping us all out." Marco told her.

"It is my pleasure. Well, from what I'm seeing, these monsters aren't as different as everyone thinks they are so that is out of the way." Ms. Lily told them.

"Awesome! That means you all can leave and the monsters are free to roam town, right? You know, they can go back to their homes and all?" Star asked, excited as both she and Marco smiled brightly, standing up.

"Well...not quite." Ms. Lily told them.

"Huh?" They both said under their breath, sitting back down.

"You see, the government needs to know everything about them...including how they got here in the first place."

"I'm...sorry can you say that again?" Marco asked as both he as Star were wide-eyed. They started to sweat out of fear, wondering if they heard what she said correctly.

"After the huge explosion and the morphing of our town, we have had a goal to locate the source of the blast and find the answers to how this all happened. Everyone thinks the monsters did it which is why they are under investigation. We assumed it was a gas leak at first. However, after seeing monsters in our town and these new castle-like structures appearing out of nowhere, we decided to reinvestigate. If you could tell us anything you know about where the portal originated and how they got here, it would help us. It could also prove the monsters innocent if there is a different side to the story." Ms. Lily asked.

Star and Marco went speechless. They felt as if they were going to pass out. They couldn't let the monsters be accused for something they didn't do. They were freaking out. They didn't think they had to explain any of this.

The pressure was on...

...they had to tell them the truth.

"Dun dun duuuuun." Glossaryk muttered from inside Star's head…she really wished she could throw pudding in his face right now.


	14. Truth Be Told

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Truth Be Told**

Star and Marco sat in their chairs, completely silent and as stiff as wooden boards. If they said anything about what they did, they could suffer consequences. They both felt their hearts beat at a thousand miles per hour. Star and Marco weren't prepared for this. They thought all they would have to do is prove that monsters aren't evil and bloodthirsty and all would be peachy-keen. Now, they were the ones on the line. Ms. Lily could tell they needed a minute.

"I'll...give you both some time alone." She told them as she stood up. "When you're ready for me to come back in, just knock on the door. I'll be outside." Ms. Lily walked out of the cargo space, leaving Star and Marco some privacy to talk things over. They had trouble saying much of anything, being that they were in complete shock and daze.

"I'll give you and Marco some space as well. Don't you worry. I'll be mediating to some ocean waves." Glossaryk told Star, who didn't even react. Suddenly, she heard the sound of the ocean racing in her head. "Hear it, Star? Ocean. Soothing, isn't it?" Star didn't respond, giving Glossaryk the hint that he should be silent, clearing his throat. "You both talk amongst yourselves." Glossaryk told her. The ocean wave sounds stopped. For once, Star thought Glossaryk was doing something right. Marco and Star still sat in their seats, staring into space, trying to process their thoughts.

"So…" Marco started. "Do we-" Marco started before suddenly hearing sniffling. Marco turned his head to Star, seeing her eyes begin to water, looking absolutely terrified. "Star? What's wrong?" He asked her. Star started balling. Tears began running down her face.

"We did this, Marco. We're the reason that...this whole thing is happening." Star said as she wiped her nose.

"Wait, what?" Marco spoke.

"Marco, please keep up! The reason the monsters are in danger is because of us...because of what _we_ did. _We_ created that portal and _we_ merged our worlds together. _We_ are the ones that are guilty." Star replied with a shaky voice.

"Star...guilty or not, I would never take back anything that happened, even if it meant putting the monsters in danger." Marco told her. Star looked into Marco's eyes, astounded at what she heard.

"Wha...but...Marco! How could you say something like tha-" Star exclaimed. Marco lifted a hand up to silence her.

"Let me finish. You know why I would never take it back?" Marco asked her. He didn't expect her to answer. Instead, he took her hands in his, locking his fingers within hers. "Because...well...I love you. I was willing to never see my family, friends...and home _ever_ again...just so we could be together." Marco got a little choked up. Star's face lit up. She had never seen Marco talk like this about her.

"I'll _never_ take back what we did. I mean, something...amazing came out of it for me...and that's you." Marco said as he let go of one of her hands and cupped her cheek. She rubbed her face into his palm, enjoying his touch. Star didn't really take time to think about how much they both didn't want to be separated. They were willing to abandon their world and everything they knew and loved so they could be with one another again. Not just that, but they didn't even think about what they were doing. She and Marco just...did it impulsively. Star thought she knew that Marco was everything to her and that she was everything to him. It wasn't until now that she realized that she was wrong.

They were even more than everything to each other. If they didn't have one another, life wouldn't make sense anymore. Their love was so deep and genuine that it made Star realize she's finally found something she's been searching for for quite some time; true love. It was staring at her right in the face for more than a year now. How could they have been so blind? Star sniffled once more, thinking so long and deep about it.

"Marco...having you in my life again is something I...will _never ever_ want to take back." Star told him with a smile, showing Marco that she felt the exact same way. Marco smiled right back. Suddenly, those negative thoughts came right back into Star's head. "But...the monsters...they-"

"Star, together, we can fix anything that we come across. This is one of those times! We can fix this! That's another reason why we belong together. It's not just because we are in love. It's because we change the world together…" Marco took her hands in his, interlocking their fingers again. "You and me. Think about it. We're making history right now; a strong friendship between humans and monsters. Who would've thought that would happen! Pfft, I didn't!"

"So...you're saying it's like...our destiny or something?" Star asked him.

"Yup." Marco said, straight out.

" _You_ believe in destiny?" Star asked, making sure.

"Well, yeah. I mean, I didn't before but...after what happened with the portal and our worlds colliding, I've started to." Marco told her. Star looked down at the ground. "I think we were destined to meet and...we were destined to become a couple and...honestly, I feel like we're destined to do a lot more."

"Like how we're 'destined' to rule together?" Star reminded him with a raised eyebrow, using air quotes. She chuckled, reminding him about what he said to her while they were waiting for the humans to arrive. Marco turned red, letting go of Star's hands immediately.

"Oh...uh...that? That was a slip of the tongue! I-I-I didn't mean to-" Marco hesitated, trying to fix what he said. Star shook her head in amusement.

"It's okay, Marco. I get it. I'm just saying it felt like you were...you knooooow…" Star started as she looked to her side.

"Proposing?" Marco said as he nervously sweated.

"...yeah. That." Star replied, looking back at him.

"Oh...I wasn't-...that was just me saying it's, uh...you know... _possible_ that we might rule together...sorry if I upset you." Marco apologized, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, no, no! You don't have to be sorry! You didn't upset me at all. It's just nice...knowing that you think we're going to be...married someday." Star told him with a smile.

"Well...yeah." Marco told her. "I think about it a lot." He added, letting out a small giggle. The two of them started to daydream.

"...thinking about what life will be like as a married couple…" Star added.

"...living in a house of our own…" Marco continued.

"...with puppies by the dozens…" Star giggled.

"...and our own food truck, selling culinary cuisine on wheels …" Marco added before they both sighed.

"...and kids." They both said together. Star and Marco froze after realizing they spoke the same thing, staring at each other wide-eyed before looking away, a little bashful. Marco started clearing his throat.

"Well...uh…" Marco spoke, rubbing the back of his neck again

"Anyway…" Star muttered, letting out a nervous chuckle before putting her mind back to the situation at hand.

"So...you actually thought I was proposing?" Marco asked her.

"Uh...well, yes but...look, I know. I know. Crazy thought, right?" Star chuckled nervously.

"That's not a crazy thought, Star." Marco reassured her.

"Right…okay..." Star said, looking down at the ground, unsure of what she was thinking was insane or not.

"Hey...look, if we are actually meant to be...which I'm _pretty_ sure we are…" Marco started as he smiled. "...I'll make sure it happens someday." He told her. Star looked up at him. "Besides, right now isn't the _best_ time for a proposal. I would do it somewhere much more romantic with a much better ambience." Marco chuckled again, trying to make Star do the same.

"That's...true. You would." Star replied, smiling back at him.

"Not to mention that there are dangers all around us right now...my instincts say noooo thank you." Marco told her. Star giggled before letting out a sigh.

"Marco, my man...my main man." Star started, putting a hand on Marco's shoulder "I got two words for you;...safe...kid."

"It's not being a safe kid, Star. It's thinking ahead and planning for the worst possible outcomes." Marco responded.

"...soooooo safe kid..." Star spoke. Marco gave her a straight face.

"...no comment." Marco replied before they laughed. Star shook her head in amusement before her mind went back to the matter at hand.. "...Marco...what if...we get in trouble for what we did...for merging Earth and Mewni together? What if something happens to us?"

"Pfft...I don't even care about that." Marco told her. Star's eyes grew wide as she listened to him. "If destiny is on our side, we _will_ stay together. I'm not losing hope on that." Star stayed silent for a few seconds, taking in how important Marco took their relationship.

"...you really believe that...don't you?" Star said. Marco tilted his head slightly with a smile. She didn't think that anybody could believe a relationship could be this strong and this everlasting. It tug on Star's heart strings. It made her realize that the love between them wasn't like everyone else's. This was unconditional, unequivocal love; the strongest of its kind. Star and Marco looked at each other's lips before taking their gaze back to one another's eyes. Star took her hands and cupped his face, bringing it closer to her as their lips touched.

This kiss felt so powerful as they felt like nothing could stop them. They were meant to be with one another. Their lips parted a minute or two before pulling one another in for a sweet embrace. Star wrapped his arms around Marco's neck as Marco took his hand and stroked the back of Star's head, feeling the gentle silkiness of her golden hair. As Star dug her face into his neck, taking in the smell of his 'Aroma De Un Hombre' cologne, she let out a sigh, pulling him in a little tighter, making Marco shed a smile.

"I love you so much, Marco." Star said to him.

"I love you too, Star…" Marco replied as he took a sniff of her hair, smelling the scent of a field of spring flowers. He wished he could smell that every day. "...I love you so much." Marco told her as he gave her a kiss on her cheek as they kept close. Star let out a tiny giggle before they pulled apart, bringing their minds back to the matter at hand.

"Well...you ready to tell her?" Marco asked Star, making sure she was prepared for this before letting Ms. Lily back into the cargo space. Star sniffled once more, trying to calm herself down.

"Yeah, um…I'm ready." Star was about to wipe her face of her tears before Marco stopped her.

"Woah, Star, wait! Remember, you're wearing makeup." Marco reminded her.

"Oh...right. Sorry." Star replied. Marco took a tissue from the box on Ms. Lily's desk and started dabbing Star's cheeks, getting her tears gently off of her face without removing any make-up. Star chuckled. "Heh...thanks. Wow, I must be lucky that the makeup didn't smudge, huh?" Star told him. Marco chuckled before taking a glance at her sparkling blue eyes. He started to become mesmerized into them.

"You know...your eyes turn even bluer when you cry." Marco told her as his pupils started to dilate. "Not saying crying is good! You know, but...um…" Marco hesitated, realizing he might have said something he shouldn't have.

"Don't worry...I get it." Star said, as Marco got up out of his chair and walked towards the cargo space door, Star stopped him one more time. "Hey, Marco?" Star called.

"Yeah?" Marco asked.

"...I love you. Star told him.

"Star? You uh...already told me that...not that I don't like hearing it but-" He said with a chuckle.

"Oh, I know I just…thought I should tell you that one more time before, you know...we send Ms. Lily back in and face whatever _doom_ might come our way." Star told him. "Ooooo scaryyy." Star playfully said as she took her hands and started wiggling her fingers as if she was a ghost. Marco let out a small chuckle.

"Well...I love you too ...again." Marco laughed as he was about to knock on the door before hesitating. "And by the way?...not gonna happen, Star." Marco replied with a smile, followed by knocking on the cargo space door, giving Ms. Lily the okay to come back inside. Star suddenly heard sniffling and crying coming from inside her head.

"Glossaryk...are you...are you crying?" Star asked Glossaryk from within her brain.

"Wha-" Glossaryk sniffled. "...no, Star, no. You're hearing ocean waves hitting the sands of mile-long beaches."

"Riiight." Star replied. The door opened a few seconds after, revealing Ms. Lily standing outside.

"Did you two talk it all over?" Ms. Lily asked.

"Yeah. We're, uh...we're ready to talk." Marco told her.

* * *

Eclipsa walked around the atrium of the Monster Temple, making sure that everyone was comfortable and well-fed. She knelt down in front of a purple monster, covered in scales and sitting with the rest of his family, giving him a mug.

"I'm sorry that all we have is water at the moment. I'm sending out one of my guards to scour for more provisions as we speak." Eclipsa told the monster.

"It's not a problem, my queen. Thank you." He replied as he took the mug in his hands. Eclipsa stood back up and turned around, seeing Moon covering a monster child with a blanket.

"There you are, sweetie." Moon told her.

"Thank you so very much. I feel better now." The monster child replied. Moon smiled as she stood back up before feeling a tap on her shoulder. She turned around, seeing Eclipsa standing there.

"Anything from Star or Marco?" Eclipsa asked her.

"No…" Moon said. "Eclipsa, am I worrying too much?" She asked her royal friend.

"Moon, I have a daughter of my own. I understand the struggle of worrying about the safety of your child. When Meteora was out destroying Mewni months ago...I had the feeling she was going to be…" Eclipse stopped herself, trying her best not to remember those times. They were at a hard point in her life. She cleared her throat. "What I am trying to say is...you need to keep your hope alive. Star is a strong girl. She saved all of monster-kind back on Mewni and defeated the lizard that you've wanted revenge on since you were 16." Eclipsa reminded her. Moon looked down to the ground.

"I suppose...you may have a point." Moon agreed, making Eclipsa smile at her response. An idea suddenly struck in her head.

"Hey, we should go on an outing someday...you know, just us girls. We haven't done that since the royal archives." Eclipsa told her, acting all girly like she wanted to plan a sleepover.

"That would be nice...but with fewer quills." Moon chuckled.

"Agreed. Well, I should get back to caring for our guests." Eclipsa spoke, walking away before Moon looked to the atrium door leading outside.

"Oh, my love, be safe." Moon said.

* * *

"So...you both created the portal that appeared?" Ms. Lily asked, typing everything she heard on her laptop, putting it all on record.

"Yup." Star and Marco said together, nervously.

"Well, at least we think so. We didn't intend to create the portal if...you know...we did. It just...appeared." Marco added. Ms. Lily typed what Marco said into her computer.

"And this was created before...the realm of magic, as you call it...was destroyed?"

"You got it." Star told her anxiously.

"Alright." Ms. Luly responded, typing again. "One more thing...you know, just to clarify. Earth and Mewni merged once you both got _close_ to the portal?" She asked them. They both looked down and frowned.

"Yes." They both said somberly. As Ms. Lily typed the report on her laptop, Star felt eager to say something.

"Ms. Lily...we didn't know this would happen. We both thought that...if we went through the portal we would reach what was on the other side. Like if I went through I would reach Earth and if Marco went through he would reach Mewni." Star told her. Ms. Lily stopped typing and shifted her eyes to them. "All we wanted...was to be together again." Star said.

"The reason we were in the realm of magic when it crumbled was because...we were willing to abandon our homes to be with each other." Marco told her. Ms. Lily listened very closely to what they were saying. "We'll accept whatever consequences come our way but...please just know that we weren't trying to harm anyone." Marco shifted his gaze to Star. "It's just that...I can't…live without her." Marco said. Star looked at Marco and smiled, almost shedding a happy tear. Star shifted her gaze back to Ms. Lily.

"Well, we stated our case so...you may as well 'serve justice' or whatever you people do." Star said as she and Marco closed their eyes, ready for her response. Ms. Lily's heart felt full. Hearing their story was like hearing a romantic tale from a storybook. She took a second to collect her thoughts before closing her laptop.

Star and Marco opened their eyes, seeing that she wasn't using her laptop anymore.

"Did you...uh...send the report to the FBI?" Marco asked, a little hesitant.

"Hmm? I'm sorry. What report?" Ms. Lily asked with a smile.

"Uhhhhhhhh...the report…everything we just told you?" Star replied, wondering if she lost her mind or not.

"You never told me anything." Ms. Lily said, winking at them.

"I'm...sorry? I'm confused." Star told her.

"We'll just put the case of the portal as 'unknown origin'. There are some things that are worth keeping a secret...don't you think?" She told them. Star and Marco gasped. Were they hearing her correctly?

"But...Ms. Lily...you're risking your career. You do realize that, right?" Marco asked.

"As you said, you had no idea this would happen. You didn't fully intend to create the portal. Therefore, even though you are responsible for what's happened, you are not guilty of anything." Ms. Lily told them. "Besides, I would feel horrible for the rest of my life if I separated the two of you. You both belong together. I can't get in the way of what I'm seeing as unconditional love." Star and Marco shed extremely gleaming smiles.

"So...we're okay?" Marco asked.

"And the monsters _aren't..._ going to be pushed out of the temple?" Star added. Ms. Lily took her cell phone and dialed a number. She put the phone to her ear.

"Hello, general. I'm going to have to ask your men to stand down." Ms. Lily told them.

"But...mam?" The general questioned on the other side of the call.

"I'm sorry, are you questioning an agent of the FBI?" Ms. Lily asked him.

"Um...no, mam. Sorry, mam...right away mam." The general said before Ms. Lily hung up the call. Marco and Star were about to cry tears of joy. Ms. Lily could tell by the looks on their faces.

"Well, I believe you both are free to go. It was a pleasure doing business with you." Ms. Lily told them, reaching both of her hands out for them to shake. They gladly took the handshakes.

"Wow, thank you. I mean, we don't know what to say!" Marco told her.

"Agreed!" Star added.

"Oh, please. There's no need. Now...get out there and tell your monster friends the good news." Ms. Lily told them.

"Yes, mam!" They both responded as they got up out of their chairs, made their way to the cargo door. They opened them and walked outside, stepping to the ground and closing the doors behind them. Star and Marco gazed at each other with humongous smiles.

"We did it!" Star exclaimed as Marco grabbed Star, picked her up in a big hug, and spun her around. Star laughed as she twirled around in Marco's arms. He put her down shortly after.

"See, what did I tell you?" Marco said as he proudly brushed imaginary dirt off his shoulders. "It's destiny."

"Whatever you say, Diaz." Star chuckled.

"Then what do you call it?" Marco asked her, trying to see what she was thinking in that head of hers.

"I call it...luck...for now though." Star told him.

"Uh-huh...suuuure." Marco said playfully. Star elbowed him gently in reciprocation.

"Well, there's no need for this anymore." Star spoke as she ran into a nearby port-a-potty, coming out a second later wearing her new green polka dot dress.

"...you, uh...had the dress with you the whole time?" Marco questioned her, pointing at her dress.

"Please...you have to plan ahead, Marco." Star responded, taking her hand and pretending to shoo something away. "You know you can take your armor off too, right?"

"Ohhh no, no, no. There's no way I'm taking my armor off yet." Marco told her as he grabbed his armor tight. Star shook her head, amused.

"Seriously, you're suuuuuuch a safe kid." Star said.

"You're not going to stop calling me that, are you?" Marco asked with a straight face.

"Oh, come on, I'm just messing with you." Star said, nudging him. She suddenly jumped. "Oh! Gotta call mom!" Star exclaimed as she took out her cell phone and started tapping the screen.

* * *

Moon suddenly felt her phone start to buzz. She lifted it up, seeing that Star was calling her. She immediately answered it.

"Star? Honey?" Moon called out.

"Mom? Mission accomplished! The monsters are free and safe to come out of that temple!" Star said proudly.

"Really? Oh, my sweet girl, you did it! Eclipsa! Eclipsa!" Moon exclaimed, hurrying around the atrium, seeing Eclipsa helping another monster with provisions. "Eclipsa!" Eclipsa turned around instantly, wondering if there was trouble.

"Moon? What is it? Is Star alright?" Eclipsa asked.

"They did it. Oh, by corn, they did it. The monsters are safe. They're safe!" Moon said happily.

"Oh, that's wonderful! I'll tell everyone! This calls for a celebration!" Eclipsa said, skipping around the temple, about to share the news.

"I just told Eclipsa. The monsters will be coming out of the temple now. Well done, Star. Well done!" Moon told Star, feeling extremely proud of her daughter.

* * *

"Why thank you, mom! I can't waiiiit!" Star replied before hanging up.

"So the monsters are going to come out?" Marco asked as he and Star began walking back towards the monster temple.

"Yup. I have a feeling they'll be out once we get over there. Just think, Marco! Humans and monsters are finally going to make peace!" Star said excitedly in a high pitch voice.

"I know! Wow, I mean...I'm witnessing a historical moment for humankind! If I grow to be 100, I can tell future generations!" Marco added. Star happily let out a breath.

"That's the spirit, my adorable man!" Star said to him, booping Marco's cheek, making Marco giggled. Star let out a sigh, feeling as if she could finally relax. "For once, Marco, I feel at ease." Star said. All of a sudden, the sounds of yelling came from up ahead. Star and Marco ran as fast as they could towards the monster temple. Once they got there, they witnessed something they hoped wouldn't happen. The humans were on one side and the monsters were on the other. The monsters had their guard up while the humans were at the ready with their tasers, tranquilizer guns, and shields. Star and Marco gasped at the sight of it.

"Oh, come ooooon!" Star said, frustrated. Star began to run through the crowd of police and soldiers, pushing them out of the way.

"Star!" Marco called before chasing after her through the crowd.

"You put your monster claws down! I repeat, stand down!" One of the police officers exclaimed through a megaphone.

"Not until you put your weapons down!" One of the monsters yelled. Star suddenly got in the middle of them both.

"STOP!" Star exclaimed at the top of her lungs. Marco got up to the front of his fellow species' crowd, gasping as he saw Star with her arms stretched wide and palms out facing each of the groups. Everyone grew silent, seeing the blonde-headed teenager standing in the middle of a feud. Star was fuming with anger. She was done with this. "Can you all just try and talk to each other for once in your lives?! Is that SO HARD?!" Star yelled.

"They were about to attack us!" One of the police officers yelled.

"We were just coming out of the temple. You were the ones who had your weapons pointed at us!" A slime monster replied angrily.

"I. don't. CARE!" Star screamed. "You see where this is all taking us? NOWHERE! All I want is for you all to talk it out and accept each other's differences. Look, you're more alike than you think. All I want…" Star stopped herself, trying to calm down. She took a deep breath in and out. "...is for you to discover that for yourselves." Star said, trying to speak heart to heart with everybody. All of a sudden, a tennis ball rolled away from the monster crowd. A young monster child started walking away from the crowd.

"Mason! Come back here!" A monster woman, covered in fur, exclaimed from within the crowd. The child didn't listen. He kept trying to run for the ball...which was coming towards the humans. One of the police officers started yelling.

"Don't come any closer!" The police officer said, getting his taser ready.

"Mason!" The mother yelled.

"Oh no." Star muttered under her breath as she ran towards the child. The police officer aimed his taser at the kid, getting ready to press the trigger. Marco wondered what she was doing.

"Staaaar what are you doing!?" Marco called. Star hurried over to the child and shielded him, getting hit by the taser at its strongest setting right in her side. Star let out a painful cry, dropping to the ground.

"STAR!" Marco called out, pushing the police out of the way, running right to her and dropping to his knees. He put Star's head on his lap, trying to see if she's okay. "Star? Star!" Marco cried. He instantly checked to see if she was breathing by putting his ear to her chest. Thankfully, he could hear her heart and feel her breath. Star suddenly groaned softly. Marco gasped, lifting his head up to look at her. "Star? Can you hear me, Star?!" Marco asked her. Star started to giggle.

"...my knight in...shining armor." Star said softly. Marco let out a sigh of relief...not to mention that he was happy Star called him that.

"Oh...you're okay. Geez, you scared me for a moment." Marco didn't even care about the monsters and humans right now. Star was his only concern. Suddenly, a green-haired woman came out, walking in the middle of the crowd.

"Now...NOW do you see what Star was trying to tell you all? This fight...this whole brawl between us? IT. MUST. END!" Eclipsa stated loudly. "One of my _dear friends_ just got hurt because of your carelessness and oversight! Star is right about one thing. This whole feud is accomplishing absolutely nothing but PAIN!" Eclipsa exclaimed, angered at what just transpired. Moon came next to her.

"She's right. This is all pointless. Why not end this now before anything worse comes to pass?" Moon said, coming out from the monster crowd.

"Well, you're standing with the monsters. Why should we listen to either of you?" The general said within the crowd of humans. Eclipsa glared at the man, thinking how dare he say something like this.

"Then how about listening to me instead?" Ms. Lily stated, coming out of the crowd of humans. The policemen and soldiers gasped, seeing the FBI agent walk right into the scene. They all saluted. "These women are right. There is no reason for this. I am ashamed to even be siding with all of you after what you have done to this poor girl. I declared not long ago that the monsters are safe and deserve to be treated just as we should be. Did you forget the golden rule or do I have to remind you of it?" Ms. Lily wondered, trying to knock some sense into these people.

"I did my investigation. I told all of you to stand down. What do you do? Disregard my instructions completely. These monsters have done nothing to deserve how they've been treated. Now, will you follow my orders and try to reason with the monsters and get along? Or will you act oblivious to the truth that lies in front of you?" Ms. Lily asked them. "Honestly, you all should be ashamed of yourselves. Think with a little more common sense before hurting someone who's done nothing to deserve this." She said to her fellow human comrades.

The humans and monsters took their words to heart. Maybe they were right. They felt awful about what happened to Star. She wouldn't have gotten hurt if this whole charade never started in the first place. The humans were starting to see the light. They began to question their ways, wondering if all of this _was_ indeed a waste of time. The humans began to put all of their weapons down, along with dropping their shields. The general looked around, seeing what was taking place.

"What are you all-" The general started before glancing at Ms. Lily, who he could tell was not messing around. The general put his weapons down as well and took a step forward.

"I guess...we can set our differences aside." The general said, reaching out a hand for a monster to shake. No one was coming forward though. The general frowned, thinking what he just did was pointless. Suddenly, a familiar monster stepped forward. Marco turned his head, seeing who was walking towards the general.

"Buff Frog?" Marco called.

"Hello, karate boy." Buff Frog said to him. He came up to the general and grabbed the general's hand with one of his webbed ones, shaking it gently. "Yvgeny Bulgolyubov...also known as Buff Frog."

"Leslie Dinkleberry." The general said. Everyone gave him a raised eyebrow, hearing his first name.

"...Leslie?" Ms. Lily repeated.

"Hey, I didn't choose it." The general added. Buff Frog grabbed the general in a big hug.

"I like name. It suits you." Buff Frog told him. The general decided to hug back. Suddenly, all the humans and monsters walked towards each other, shaking each other's hand and talking to one another. Globgor came out as well, holding Meteora in his arms. Eclipsa turned around, seeing them walking towards her.

"Oh, my dears!" Eclipsa said, running to them and giving them a hug. Marco looked around, seeing smiles and laughter. Finally, after all the struggles and stress Star's had to deal with, the feud is over. Marco was happy that one problem was gone. He turned to Star.

"Star, we did it. _Now_ it's over!" Marco told her as he stroked her cheek.

"Heh...yayyy." Star softly cheered, trying not to hurt herself too much. Marco leaned in closer and kissed her forehead. Star let out a happy little sigh, making Marco shed a grin. Moon rushed over to the two of them, checking up on them both.

"Star? Are you okay?!" Moon asked, dropping to her knees to evaluate Star's health.

"She's okay. Seriously, Star, you had us worried sick, you know." Marco told her.

"Hey...I had to do something." Star said.

"That was brave of you, Star. I'm just happy to know you're alright." Moon told her, taking her hand and stroking her daughter's cheek.

"Sorry, Mom...should have kept my armor on, I guess." Star said.

"See, Star? Your 'safe kid' was right again." Marco said, smirking.

"Fine. You win." Star said, rolling her eyes before chuckling gently. Tom and Janna suddenly came to them, dropping down to the ground.

"Star! You okay? That looked like it hurt...a lot." Tom asked.

"Yeah, I've been hit by tasers. They do hurt." Janna added.

"Wait, when were you hit by a taser?" Marco asked.

"Need to know basis, Marco. Just know it hurts." Janna said mysteriously. Everyone just pretended to ignore that.

"Ahhh don't worry about it. I'm alllll good." Star said. Suddenly, it started to rain, getting everyone absolutely soaked. Everybody looked up, seeing the raindrops fall from the sky. Star let out a sigh.

"You know, I was expecting a pretty rainbow, you know? Maybe even a giant blimp covered in little stars and butterflies..." Star muttered.

"...you sure you're okay, Star?" Marco wondered.

"Blimps are like...squishy...boopable planes." Star replied.

"...that taser must have made you delusional." Marco said, chuckling at Star's loopiness. Star giggled before noticing everyone's eyes suddenly wide, making her wonder what's up.

"Guys...your, uh...your eyes look like they're about to bulge out of your heads." Star mentioned.

"S...Star?" Marco said as he pointed at his own cheeks.

"What?" Star muttered. She looked at her mother, who's face screamed the word 'terrified'. Star suddenly realized what was wrong.

The makeup wiped off.

The hearts were visible.


	15. Confession Time

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Confession Time**

Star was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Of course, it had to rain. Why in the world did it have to rain now out of all times?! Nevertheless, there was no turning back now. Her mom sees them. Tom and Janna see them. The secret's officially out. Star had to tell them, whether the response will be bad or not. She gently sat up off of Marco's lap, wincing a little from the taser burn on her side.

"Uhhhh…" Star didn't know what to say. She was on the spot. Suddenly, the rain started to slow down. Then, it stopped. It must have been a scattered shower or something. "Seriously?! It couldn't have rained at any other time?!" Star yelled at the sky. She suddenly froze and glanced at her mother, who looked as if she wasn't having any more of her shenanigans at this point. She decided to treat this delicately. Who knows what was spiraling through her mother's mind right now. "You're probably wondering about the hearts on my cheeks. It's a long story, really." Star told them.

"Stop." Moon said, holding her hand out to make her stop talking. Star held her breath, not looking forward to hearing what else was about to come out of her mom's mouth. "Come with me." Moon said, turning around and walking back towards the temple.

"Uh...okay. I just need a second to-" Star started as she began to try to stand up.

"Not you, Star." Moon stopped her, turning her head slightly as she kept her back turned. "Marco? Follow me, please." She said, making Marco jump.

"Wait, What?" Marco spoke. Why did Moon want to talk to him? Star was the one with the hearts on her cheeks. Why Marco out of all people? Marco glanced at Star with a worried look on his face. Star shrugged in response. "Um...okay." Marco responded nervously before standing up, following Moon into the temple. Star watched as they walked away through the crowds of humans and monsters, feeling a little bit confused. Tom and Janna felt the same.

"O...kayyy...why does she want to talk to Marco exactly?" Tom asked.

"I uh...don't know." Star replied.

* * *

Marco followed Moon walked through the hallways, now close to empty, until they reached a room of the temple to talk. Moon opened the door, revealing an office. In it was a stone-carved desk topped with stacks of papers some books, and a few writing utensils. Against the wall were a few bookshelves stacked with novels, biographies, and journals. A window stood on the wall right behind the desk, shining a smidgen of sunlight into the room. Moon walked into the room with Marco behind her.

"Come in, Marco." Moon told him.

"Alright." Marco anxiously answered. "Hey, um...I know this looks really bad with you know...Star having her hearts back and all but...I promise I had nothing to-" Marco started, trying to understand what the point of all of this was.

"Please sit down." Moon told him. Marco could tell she was serious about this. He decided it may be best that he doesn't say anything he'll regret later. He decided to stay silent until Moon asked anything of him. Marco hesitantly walked over to the wooden chair in front of the desk, sitting on it. A humongous loud squeak came from it as he sat, so loud that it made things even more uncomfortable. He still decided to stay quiet out of fear.

* * *

As Star, Tom, and Janna waited outside, Star explained the whole reason her hearts have returned.

"So...that's when I woke up and saw that my hearts were back." Star told Tom and Janna. The two of them stared blankly at her, astonished. Star didn't like the fact that they were silent. "Alright guys, you're not making me feel any better with the awkward silence here." She added.

"Sorry it's just...we're a little shocked here." Tom explained.

"Now, wait. Glossaryk is living in your mind? Cool. Now you have a conscience." Janna told Star.

"No, no, no, no. _Not_ cool Janna. He's driving me nuts!" Star said.

"I'm right here, you know." Glossaryk said inside her head.

"Good. You need to heart the truth for once!" Star exclaimed in frustration as she looked up at her forehead.

"Uhhh...who are you-" Tom started before Star gave him an annoyed stare, pointing at her head. "Got it." He responded. "So why did you hide your hearts exactly?"

"I don't know...I guess I just didn't want everyone freaking out. I mean, we just tried to destroy the magic so we could keep the idiots out there from using it. I feel like if I told anyone that magic _might_ still exist...it would create a frenzy...not to mention that I don't want to put you all in danger again." Star explained.

"Again?" Janna asked.

"...back on Mewni...when everyone got hurt from the Solarian warriors...I felt awful. I just assumed that...it was all my fault and I just don't want to see that happen all over again." Star wondered if them knowing about this would put them at risk of getting harmed. "Seriously guys, if something happens to you from finding this out-"

"Star, you shouldn't have to hide anything from us, even if it means putting us in danger. We want to help you no matter what the case." Tom told her.

"He's right, you know. So what if we get hurt? If it means keeping the people we care about safe, it's worth it." Janna told her. Star looked down at the ground, feeling bad that they would want to get hurt...just for her safety.

"...but...why does it feel selfish to want help...knowing that something could happen to you?" Star asked.

"Well, it's not, Star. That's what friends do. They back each other up, no matter what the circumstances are. Besides, we would have found out sooner or later anyway." Tom told her. Star let out a sigh.

"Well...okay." Star said. "I guess you're right...I mean, I would do the same for you guys so-" Star said.

"See, there you go." Janna told her.

"Now all I have to worry about is what's going through my mom's mind right now." Star groaned. "She's probably going to want to lock me up and keep me hidden forever in a dark room...eating nothing but cornbread and drinking only water-" Star said.

"Uh...Star? You're making it sound like you're being held prisoner." Tom said.

"Well, it'll definitely feel like a prison if my mom keeps me locked up!" Star said. None of them knew what to say. Who knew how Moon was feeling about this. They had no comment on it. They were quiet for quite a bit of time. Tom cleared his throat.

"So...nice...weather we're uh...having?" Tom said. Star scowled at him.

"Really Tom?" Star hissed.

"Oh, come on! Isn't that like, _the_ question to ask when there's nothing to talk about?!" Tom exclaimed.

"Dude, the weather is what got Star and Marco in this mess in the first place." Janna reminded him.

"Yeah, Tom. Did that even cross your mind?" Star asked him, a little irritated.

"Well….NO!" Tom exclaimed, unleashing a bit of anger before crossing his arms and letting out a 'harrumph'. They all grew silent again. This conversation was getting more awkward by the second.

"So...why do you think Marco was brought back into the temple to talk, huh?" Janna asked. Star hugged her legs, feeling uneasy. She let out a sigh

"I don't know." Star spoke.

"Hopefully not what I'm thinking." Tom muttered.

"Which issssss…" Janna wondered.

"I mean, isn't it obvious? Usually, when a parent wants to 'talk' to their daughter's boyfriend, it means bad news." Tom explained.

"Bad news? Whaaat are you talking about?" Star asked, becoming even more concerned by the second...as if she wasn't upset enough as it is.

"Well, from my experience, not that I've been in this...situation before but-" Tom started

"Tom, it happened the first time we were dating." Star reminded him.

"...we shall never speak of that day, Star." Tom told her. "Anyway, it usually means that he did something to upset them."

"What? But...but Marco didn't do anything wrong!" Star spoke. She began to get up carefully.

"What are you doing?" Janna asked.

"I need-" Star took a breath. "...to get in there and prove…" She grunted. "...to my mom...he's innocent!" Star said, about to walk towards the temple.

"Nice going, genius. Now she's freaking out." Janna said to Tom. Tom turned to Star.

"Wait, Star! I never said that was the case." Tom reassured her.

"Then what else can it be, Tom? Huh? Please enlighten me here!" Star said.

"Uhhhh…" Tom couldn't think of anything else.

"Exactly. I gotta get in there." Star told them, making her way to the temple.

"Hey, do you need help? I mean, you just got hit by a taser." Janna reminded her.

"Nope. I'm fine. This is between me and my mother...and Marco." Star responded. Tom and Janna watched as she walked away. They wanted to stop her but they've known for a long time that nothing and no one could ever get in Star's way, especially if she's this focused on fixing something. Eclipsa came over to them, noticing Star walking away.

"Where is Star going?" Eclipsa asked.

"To talk to her mom. I think that she thinks that her mom thinks that Marco is responsible for Star's hearts coming back." Janna told her. "Well, that sentence felt more exhausting to say than it should have."

"Wait, I'm sorry. Star's hearts are back?" Eclipsa asked, shocked.

"Yeah. The rain washed away the makeup that was hiding them." Tom told her.

"Oh...did Star tell you how they appeared?" Eclipsa asked them.

"Yeah." Janna responded. Eclipsa started to look anxious. Tom and Janna took notice to it. "You okay?" Eclipsa looked to the ground, getting a feeling in her gut that something weird is going on. She turned her gaze back to the two teenagers.

"Tell me everything Star told you." Eclipsa asked them.

* * *

"Now, I know you might find it odd that I wanted to talk to you instead of Star." Moon told Marco, who was gripping the edge of his seat in fear.

"Actually, yeah. Why did...you want to talk to me?" Marco asked. "Not that...I mind it! It's just...kind of strange since Star is the one with the hearts on her cheeks...they're pretty hearts! Very delicate...um...hearts." Marco rambled, trying to make a good impression at the moment before clearing his throat. Moon decided to disregard his behavior for the time being. She turned away from the window and sat in the chair behind the desk.

"Well...I feel that Star won't tell me absolutely everything that is going on. She can be...secretive...in some situations. She says it's mainly to protect me and everyone she loves but I feel that in times like this, I must know every detail in order to help her." Moon told him.

"Wait...so...I'm not in trouble?" Marco asked.

"Oh, heavens no! Why would you think that?" Moon wondered.

"Well...Star just got hurt and I didn't get there in time to save her. Now you know about the hearts on her cheeks...and I was afraid that you would think...I had...something to do with it. I mean, I _am_ her boyfriend and all so I'm obviously the first suspect on the list, right?" Marco chuckled nervously. Moon shook her head in amusement.

"First of all, it is _not_ your fault that Star got hurt. She was the one who decided to step in front of the child. You couldn't have prevented that." Moon told him.

"Yeah...I really wish it could have been me instead." Marco sighed. "Seeing Star hurt is the last thing I ever want." Marco responded, looking upset.

"Well...I think Star would be more distraught if you got hurt. Like I said before, she wants to protect those she loves; you, especially." Moon told him.

"You're right, I suppose." Marco agreed.

"Second of all, why would I _ever_ think you were the reason for her hearts returning? There is no possible way a human can possess the amount of power to do something like that." Moon said.

"Oh." Marco replied.

"Most importantly, you are far from ever being a suspect of anything. In fact, I think of you very highly, Marco." Moon told him as she looked through a few papers on the desk. Marco's eyes lit up.

"You...you do?" Marco asked. Moon looked up at him, giving him her full attention.

"Of course. You're brave, chivalrous...and best of all, I have never seen someone love my daughter as much as you do. You care for her like she's a priceless treasure." Moon put a hand on Marco's shoulder. "I couldn't be any more happy to see you dating Star. You have my utmost respect and gratitude." Moon told him with a smile.

"Wow...thank you. I mean, I didn't expect to hear any of that, to tell you the truth...especially from you...the mother of my girlfriend." Marco told her, letting out an anxious chuckled.

"You are a wonderful person, Marco. Don't put yourself down over something that was out of your control." Moon told him. "I haven't seen Star so happy to be with someone like you. You've done something truly admirable in my eyes."

"I mean...heh...I try." Marco said with a smile as he shrugged. "So...you want to know... _everything_ that happened before the hearts appeared?"

"Well...yes. I feel that if I don't know every detail, I won't be able to help her. I know Star doesn't like her family getting into any of her business but...if it means my daughter is safe, I will do whatever it takes to keep her from harm. It's my job as her mother." Marco looked nervous. Moon could tell he was hesitant to tell her what's going on. Therefore, she decided to make a kind gesture.

"We can keep everything said in this room confidential if you'd like." Moon told him.

"Really?" Marco asked.

"Yes. I'll keep everything that you're about to tell me a secret from everyone. Besides, I don't think the world should know what's happening just yet. Wouldn't you agree?" Marco thought long and hard about her offer. The one thing that lingered in his mind was...would Star be upset at him if he said anything he shouldn't? If Moon was true to her word, he wouldn't have to worry about that.

"So…Star doesn't have to know what I'm about to tell you?" Marco asked. "Honestly, the last thing I want is for her to be mad at me." He said.

"I promise. And if she does find out, I'll make sure you're the last person she puts the blame on." Moon reassured him. Marco took a deep breath in and out.

"...okay." Marco replied.

"Good...now, please tell me everything that's happened that led to her hearts coming back." Moon asked. Marco gained a sense of confidence, about to spill the beans.

"Alright...well...just to warn you...this is gonna get a little wierd." Marco told her.

* * *

Star arrived at the entrance to the monster temple, seeing Lady Higgs and Sir Cuddles guarding it once again. She had no idea where Moon and Marco went to talk. Nevertheless, she was going to find out. Her first idea of finding them was asking the guards. She walked over to them.

"Guys! You saw Marco and my mom walk in here, right?" Star asked.

"Yeah. Your mom looked pretty angry if you ask me." Lady Higgs told her. She noticed Star was holding her side as if she was injured. "What happened to you?"

"Ah, nothing major. Just a bit of a taser wound that knocked me out preeeeety good. I'm fine though...got more important things on my mind right now." Star told her.

"Nothing major?...alright." Lady Higgs responded. Sir Cuddles suddenly saw her cheek marks on her face.

"Woah, why are your hea-"

"No time to explain, I just need you to tell me if you know where they were headed." Star asked them.

"I think I heard something about Eclipsa's office? You could check there." Lady Higgs said as she watched Star walk past her in a hurry.

"Thanks!" Star told them as she walked into the temple.

* * *

"So a few nights later we were sleeping and all of a sudden her face starts to glow and let me tell you...it was _bright_! Next thing I know she wakes up with a-" Marco let out an extremely loud obnoxious gasping sound, making Moon jump in her seat.

"AH!" Moon exclaimed. Marco gasped at her response, pointing at her.

"...that's what I thought when it happened! Anyway, that's when I saw that her hearts were on her cheeks and she wakes up, telling me that Glossaryk brought them back for a ' _reason'_ , which by the way, he's pretty much refusing to tell us what that reason is. So now we're waiting for a sign to tell us why the hearts are back in the first place." Marco took a breath of air. "And...yeah...that's it." Marco finished, leaving Moon wide-eyed. She tried to process all of what he told her. It was a lot to take in.

"So...Glossaryk is...in Star's mind?" Moon asked, pointing at her forehead.

"Yup." Marco replied.

"And...magic might actually still exist...somewhere?" Moon added.

"Uh huh." Marco responded.

"And the hearts might have something to do with finding the magic again?" Moon wondered.

"Mmmmmmhm." Marco hummed.

"Well...that is…" Moon started.

"I know. I was as speechless as you." Marco reassured her. Moon thought about what Marco explained to her.

"There is just something I don't quite understand." Moon told him.

"What?" Marco muttered.

"Why are you and Star so eager to discover where the magic is? I would assume you would both like it to stay lost so no one gets a hold of it." Moon asked him. Marco never told her about the main reason they were looking for the magic in the first place; bringing Skywynne back to her own timeline. He hoped that he wouldn't have to bring up Skywynne at all, just to avoid panic...and Star kicking his butt if he ever said anything about it.

"Oh...that? Uh...welllll...I uh…" Marco held his breath. Moon could tell he was hiding something.

"Marco, I promised you I would keep everything you say confidential. You shouldn't be afraid to tell me." Moon persuaded him. Marco started to fidget. If he told her about Skywynne, the one thing that Star _doesn't_ want his mom to know, Star could be really upset with him. On the other hand, Moon did say if she knew all the details to this situation, it would benefit Star's safety. Marco took a deep breath, making a decision.

"Okay...do you know anything about Skywynne?" Marco asked.

"Skywynne...as in queen of hours? Yes." Moon replied.

"Well...she might...be...here..." Marco told her in a high pitched voice.

"Here?" Moon wondered.

"Yeah...here as in...our time. Apparently, she used a time travel spell to get here...right before the magic was destroyed. Now she has no way back." Marco explained. Moon tried to process this information as best as she could. The fact that a queen from hundreds of years ago is here in their time was a pretty big deal. She didn't even know how she was supposed to feel about it. She couldn't keep her feelings about it straight in her mind.

"...and that's why you need to find the magic?" Moon asked, just to clarify.

"Yup." Marco told her.

"Well, that makes sense, I suppose. Why didn't you both want to tell me about this exactly?" Moon wondered.

"Oh...it was actually Star who didn't want to tell you. She was worried you were going to freak out." Marco chuckled. He then looked back at Moon. "You're not going to, uh... freak out, are you?" Moon rolled her eyes.

"Oh...no no. I'm glad you told me. See, Star is confused. I don't necessarily 'freak out', per se. I just want to protect her. Look, after almost losing her to Toffee...not to mention seeing her drop in the well, fearing I would be forever separated from her...now the fear of losing her comes back to me more often than not. She can be...a bit persistent when it comes to fixing problems...even if those problems can hurt her in more ways than one." Moon explained.

"I get it. I was scared too when Toffee said she was gone. I mean, you saw what I did. I punched Toffee through his chest…" Marco told her, thinking about that moment. "...I didn't think it would be so gooey and...and gross…" He added. "Anyway, that's the kind of person Star is though. She feels kind of obligated to help people because...what makes her happy is seeing everyone else happy too." Marco said with a smile.

"I agree with you. However, she is in a situation right now where she is pretty much the epicenter of it. Glossaryk is inside her mind, which also means that there is magic within her as we speak. She is the only being that carries that power at the moment which means that there might be others out there that may want that power for themselves." Moon explained.

"I know...but Star never asked for this. It was Glossaryk who started it." Marco told her.

"I understand that. I'm not upset with Star if that's what you're implying. I just wished she told me sooner. Sometimes, she refuses to tell people about their problems because she's worried about getting them into situations that can harm them. What she doesn't understand is that she is the one in the greatest amount of danger right now. Star needs help in this situation. You never know what can happen to her. She could be kidnapped in the middle of the night because a person might want to extract the magic inside her." Moon spoke.

"I uh...didn't think about that." Marco said. "So...what should we do?" He asked her.

"Our number one priority should be protecting her and keeping our guard up in case anything happens that would hinder her safety." Moon said. "So I'm putting my trust in you to protect her for the moment."

"Wait, uh...me?" Marco questioned.

"Star trusts you more than she trusts me. I would also hate to separate the two of you. Star is happy where she is...and that is with you. I want you to make sure that Star doesn't put herself in any harmful situations. She has a tendency to do that. As of right now, she needs to stay out of any trouble." Moon told him. Marco looked to the ground, processing how big of a responsibility this was to take.

"I'm flattered but...look, I tried to run in front of Star to protect her from that taser. I know you said I couldn't have prevented that but I could have gotten her out of the way. I'm just surprised you still trust me to keep her safe." Marco told her.

"Marco, why would I lose any more trust in you?" Moon asked.

"Well...we're dating now and...now that I'm her boyfriend, I feel like you expect more out of me than before." Marco told her. Moon was shocked to hear what he was saying. "I just want to be the perfect guy for her and…" Marco let out a sigh. "...I don't know...I just feel like having approval from you and River would make me feel like I'm doing something right. I guess I feel like what just happened might make things different." Marco finished, dropping his head as he felt a deep sense of distraught. Moon shook her head, not even believing Marco would think such a thing.

"Marco, you have proved more times than one that you're worthy enough to date my daughter." Moon responded as Marco lifted his head to listen to her. "You didn't earn the title of a knight for no reason. You've been a means of support for her. You've risked your life for her as well as for all of Mewni. You've done more than any young man would have done." Moon explained. Marco looked to the side, still feeling a slight bit of doubt. "Most important of all, you've made our daughter happier than I've ever seen her, which is what River and I want most."

"Really?" Marco asked, having a little doubt in his mind.

"Yes. You have more than earned our approval as well as our trust in you." Moon told him.

"Thanks. I really needed to hear that." Marco responded.

"Now, can I trust you to protect Star?" Moon asked him. Marco felt a sudden sense of determination. If Star's parents had this must trust in her boyfriend, he thought that maybe he could see this through.

"You can count on me." Marco said. Suddenly, the door to the office slammed open, revealing a panting Star, holding her side. Marco and Moon jumped at the sudden barging in.

"MARCO DID NOTHING WRONG!" Star exclaimed.

"Star! You should know that barging in on a private conversation is very rude." Moon told her, standing up out of her chair.

"I had to! You think that Marco has something to do with this and I need to change your mind!" Star said, pointing at her mom.

"Woah woah, Star! It's okay! She doesn't think that at all." Marco said, trying to calm Star.

"Wait, what?" Star said before wincing a little, grabbing her side tighter.

"Star!" Marco called out, getting out of his chair and running over to her, helping her stand as he took his arm and wrapped it around her. "Geez, you've got to take it easy." He reminded her. Moon could see that Marco was already fulfilling the job she sought out for him to accomplish..

"I know. I know." Star said, panting from the pain.

"He's right, Star. You need to be more cautious about your injury." Moon said.

"You too? Ugh...wait...what were you two talking about in here anyway?" Star asked, wondering how much Marco spilled of everything that was going on.

"Uh...why the hearts are back and all that." Marco told her. "Nothing else, really." He shrugged. Star peered at her mother.

"Mmhmm mmhmm, why am I still feeling a _little_ skeptical?" Star asked. Marco made a worried look towards Moon, almost as if he was begging for her not to tell her any more of what they discussed.

"Star, Marco's word is good." Moon told her. Marco let out a very quiet sigh of relief, one so quiet that Star couldn't have noticed it.

"Hmmmm…" Star hummed. "Alright...but I'm watching you...mother…" Star said to her.

"Look, Star, I know you do not like me knowing about your hearts but...I'm glad to know. You need to realize that you don't have to keep any secrets from me. I'm your mother. I'm here to help you." Moon reminded her.

"I suppose. I'm just surprised you're not going all...ballistic, you know?" Star mentioned.

"I'm not…'ballistic'. I'm just concerned for you. I just want you to be careful, alright?" Moon asked her.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Star said. "Stay out of trouble and all that, bla blabla blabla, typical mother spiel. Look, I'll be fine." Star told him. "Now, Marco, help me down the temple would ya?" Star asked.

"Your 'knight in shining armor' can't help but oblige." Marco responded with a chuckle.

"Wait, I said that?" Star asked.

"Yup...and I'm never letting it go." Marco they turned to face the door. Marco turned his head slightly to look back at Star's mother, who nodded at him. He reciprocated and nodded back before turning is head back front and walking out of the door, closing it behind them.

"Okay, Marco, what did you and my mom reallllyyy talk about in there? Should I be embarrassed?" Star asked as they walked, arm in arm.

"What? No! Star, the last thing I would want to do is embarrass you in front of your parents. I know how it feels. My parents love to tell _humiliating_ stories about me." Marco told her.

"Oh oh oh! Like the time you were playing in your own-"

"DO NOT finish that sentence!" Marco exclaimed.

"Aw come on! It's adorable!" Star told him.

"...for you, maybe." Marco said, feeling nothing but shame.

* * *

Tom, Janna, and Eclipsa sat in the same spot they were when Star went into the Monster Temple, waiting for her and Marco. As they stuck around, Tom and Janna explained to Eclipsa exactly what Star told them.

"And that's how Star told us they came back." Tom concluded.

"That is...unusual, to say the least." Eclipsa said. "And Glossaryk won't tell her the reason her hearts have returned?"

"Apparently not." Janna replied.

"Well, Glossaryk has always been a little mysterious." Eclipsa said. "Hmm...the only reason he would be so secretive is if...he knew something was coming...like something is being planned out." She thought.

"You mean Skywynne?" Tom asked her.

"Well, yes. There's that but…" Eclipsa thought. "...Glossaryk would have said something by now."

"Okay, would you care to elaborate...just a little?" Tom asked.

"Look, I just have this strong notion that...there may be more taking place than we know." Eclipsa explained.

"So you're saying there's something else out there we don't know about?" Janna questioned.

"I'm not positive but...there might be." Eclipsa responded.

"Might be what?" Star said from behind Eclipsa, who jumped at the sound of her voice, turning around instantly, seeing Star and Marco. Marco was helping Star stand up with his arm around her.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Marco asked.

"Thomas and Janna told me everything. I just have a feeling that you should watch your back and be very careful." Eclipsa told them.

"Wait, what?" Marco wondered. Tom and Janna stood up.

"We'll uh...let you guys talk it out. We'll wait for you in the car." Janna told them.

"Yeah...what she said. We'll give you a ride back home when you're done talking." Tom said as the two of them walked away. As the three of them watched them leave, Eclipsa turned back to Star and Marco.

"Look, Glossaryk can be very...what's a good word for it…'cryptic'." Eclipsa told them, using air quotes.

"Reallllyyy...I never would have guessed that." Star said sarcastically.

"Star, trust me. I struggled to deal with him myself. I just have this feeling that he's not being completely truthful as to why he wants you to find the magic." Eclipsa explained.

"So he's lying to us? Rude." Star said.

"No, not lying...more like...not giving you all the details, almost as if he is waiting for the right time to divulge it.." Eclipse explained.

"Soooooo Glossaryk knows something that we don't?" Marco asked.

"Don't take my word for it, but that's what I'm thinking." Eclipsa replied. Star looked up at her forehead.

"Glossaryk? Care to explain yourself?" Star sneered.

"Hmm...now, I can't really 'explain' myself. Who is Glossaryk? How would one define...me? How would thy persona be illustrated?" Glossaryk told her.

"You know what I meant!" Star exclaimed. Eclipsa looked at Star, wide-eyed. "He's uh...not cooperating." Eclipse shook her head in disappointment.

"I would assume so. Listen. All I ask is that you pay close attention to what goes on around you. There might be more occurring than you think...and it might not be anything good." Eclipsa told them. Marco listened to her words, realizing that Moon pretty much told him the exact same thing. He had a feeling Star wouldn't take it seriously though. She does have a tendency to be overconfident.

"Pfft, come on. I've been through much worse." Star replied. Well, Marco was right.

"In other words, we'll make sure to watch our backs." Marco told her.

"Good. Well, I'm guessing you're both heading home then?" Eclipsa asked.

"Yeah. Star needs to rest and recover." Marco said.

"Speaking of which, are you feeling alright, Star? I couldn't help but feel what I saw looked painful for you." Eclipsa wondered.

"Oh...yeah. I'm good. Don't worry about me. I have a feeling I should be better in no time." Star told her.

" _But_ I'm going to make sure she has some down-time until she's fully recovered." Marco said.

"Please, you'll see me completely healed by tonight." Star told him.

"Yeeeaahh no. You're gonna rest, Star. Dr. Marco's orders." Marco responded. Star turned to look at Marco, seeing him raise an eyebrow at her.

"Uuuuuugh...fine." Star groaned.

"Anyway, we should be heading home." Marco said.

"Right. Well, get well soon, Star." Eclipsa told her as she waved to them.

"You got it!" Star replied. Eclipsa watched as they walked away, shedding a worried look.

"...and please be safe." Eclipsa said under her breath.


	16. Safe Kid: EXTREME!

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Safe Kid: EXTREME!**

Tom and Janna dropped Star and Marco off at the Diaz household, being greeted by a worried Mr. and Mrs. Diaz outside the doorway. They noticed Marco helping Star stand up assisting her to the door.

"Wasssuppp Diaz parents." Star told them as they walked towards them. The Diaz parents gasped, seeing the hearts on her cheeks.

"Star! Your hearts!" Rafael exclaimed, pointing at her cheeks. Star groaned.

"Ohhhh here we go again." Star said to herself, rolling her eyes.

"I think it might be best if we explain all of that later." Marco told her.

"Gotcha. So, how did it go...other than the hearts, obviously?" Angie asked.

"Problem solved! The monsters and humans are getting along and everything's pretty much all hunky-dory now." Marco explained. He noticed his parents all gussied up and dressed pretty nicely. "Wait, where are you going?"

"Oh, your father found out about this new restaurant in the center of town. We just thought we'd give it a try." She explained before noticing Star's face grimace. "Star? Are...are you hurt?" Angie asked them, very concerned.

"Don't worry, Mom. She's fine." Marco told her.

"Yeah, guys. It's just a taser wound. Nothing major." Star added as she held her side. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz gasped.

"A taser wound?!" Angie exclaimed.

"Wait...did you get in trouble with the law?" Rafael asked, concerned.

"...no, Dad." Marco told him, giving him a straight face.

"Yeah. Seriously, Marco's like, the king of rule-following." Star said.

"Uhhhh...he was talking about you, Star." Marco told her. Star waved her hands about, feeling as if she was being incriminated for going against the law.

"Wait, why would you think _I_ broke the law?" Star asked.

"...really, Star? You're pretty much the definition of a rebel." Marco replied with a raised eyebrow.

"He's right, you know." Glossaryk told her from inside her head.

'Look, it was all for a good cause, alright?" Star replied. "Anyway, it shouldn't take long before I'm back on my feet. It'll take like, a day at most."

"Yeahhhh no. Make that two or three days." Marco corrected her.

"Oh, please. I've been through worse than this." Star said, letting go of Marco, trying to walk normally on her own. Suddenly, she felt a burning pain again at her side. Star grabbed her side instantly, wincing from the pain.

"I state my case." Marco said with a smirk. Star glared at him, having trouble accepting the fact that he was actually right about this. Star didn't want to be hurt right now. She wanted to go out and explore now that one dilemma was cleared up. She honestly hated sitting still. She just craved adventure and thrill-seeking. Instead of saying close to anything, she grumbled and limped away past Marco's parents.

"You know I'm right, Star!" Marco called out to her.

"Tomato tamato!" Star replied. Marco and his parents gave her a raised eyebrow.

"You didn't even use that saying correctly!" Marco told her. Angie put a hand on his shoulder.

"Just give her some time, Marco. She'll start to realize she needs to recover a bit." Angie told Marco.

"I know, mom." Marco replied. Clanging and banging were suddenly heard from inside the house. "...I knoooowww she's about to do something risky! Star?!" Marco exclaimed, making his way around his parents and into the house. He turned his head to the kitchen, seeing Star frozen in mid-movement, trying to reach for the Sugar Seeds at the very top shelf inside one of the wall cabinets. There were broken plates and cups all over the floor.

"Star! What are you doing?!" Marco asked her quite loudly.

"Duh, what does it look like? I want some sugar seeds to gorge on." Star told him. She looked at all the broken dishes on the tile floor. "That's just...uh…" Star tried to think of something. "You know, when I had my magic it was _much_ easier to get away with things." Star nervously chuckled. She suddenly flinched from the discomfort of her taser wound.

"I don't even care about that, Star. What I care about is you doing something that's going to make that wound even worse." Marco told her as he walked over to Star to hold her up. He guided her out of the kitchen to the living room so she could sit on the couch.

"So are we, uh...going to have a movie marathon or something? Usually, when we go to the couch it either means movie marathon or Friendship Thursday…" Star suddenly gasped. "Wait a minute...or are we upgrading to Couple Thursday?!" Star said as her pupils turned into hearts as she giggled.

"Well, even though we could do that, we're not doing anything crazy or unsafe until you get better." Marco said before thinking about his response for a quick second. "Okay, maybe a movie but that's all. No standing up except if you have to go to the bathroom, no getting up to get anything-"

"Well, someone's a bit pushy, huh?" Star said.

"Not pushy, Star. Cautious." Marco told her. "I'll go get you those sugar seeds and clean up the broken dishes. The last thing we need is someone else getting hurt."

"Alriigghht." Star moaned. She began to slouch carefully, trying her best to not feel any pain. Wanting to watch television, she looked at the screen directly in front of her, noticing it was off. She looked around, trying to find the remote until she noticed it on the edge of the coffee table in front of her, except it was too far for her to reach. She sat up a bit and tried extending her arm towards it instead of standing up, knowing if Marco caught her on her feet, he would freak. Star then thought...was Marco really watching her _that_ closely?

"Hey, Marcooo? How's it uh...how's it going in there?" Star called out. There was no answer. She looked around one more time, making sure he wasn't watching her from somewhere in the house. Star said as she stood up quietly, reaching for the remote.

"What are you doing, Star?" Glossaryk asked from inside her mind. "I would advise you to sit still or you will take longer to heal."

"I'm just grabbing a remote." Star told him.

"You're going to regret it, you know." Glossaryk replied.

"Look, you may be inside my mind but it doesn't mean you control it and everything I do!" Star thought to herself for a second. "Well, at least I...hope not." She wondered as she stood up even more.

"Star!" Marco exclaimed. Star jumped.

"Ah!" She yelped before feeling the wound once again, immediately sitting back on the couch. She let out a cry and flinched.

"I'm not going to say I was right but-" Glossaryk started.

"Shut iiiiiit…" Star sneered. She then brought her attention to Marco, wondering how in the world he got there so fast as she tried to derail her mind from the ache in her side. "Okay, Marco? How did-"

"All that matters right now is that you _rest_." Marco told her as he placed the box of sugar seeds from the kitchen next to her. He then grabbed the remote and handed it to her. "Alright, since we kind of skipped breakfast, I'm going to make us a big plate of quesadillas."

"Okay." Star replied. "Ooo you know what you should try?!" Star asked him, eager to tell him the answer.

"No, Star. No sugar…" Marco said as he turned to go to the kitchen. He stopped, seeing Star with the biggest puppy dog eyes known to man. Marco couldn't resist it. It was...too cute! "Fine, I'll put a few spoonfuls on the side." Marco groaned before he made his way out of the room. "It's blasphemy, I tell you." He mumbled as he walked back to the kitchen.

"Love you too, boo." Star said back. Star suddenly heard creaking from the stairway. She turned her head, seeing Skywynne coming down the steps. Something was different about her though. She was wearing a yellow sweatshirt and black leggings with white sneakers on her feet.

"Skywynne! You're...you're wearing pants!" Star exclaimed in surprise as she pointed at her. She put her arm back down shortly after. "Me likie." She said softly.

"Oh, well, thank you, I-" Skywynne started. That's when she noticed the hearts on her cheeks. "Wait...Star? You're uh…on your…" Skywynne stuttered, pointing to her cheeks.

"I'll explain it all to you later. I wouldn't worry about it too much." Star consoled her. "But seriously though, the outfit?! I love it!" Star told her. Skywynne looked down at the outfit she was sporting.

"Oh, um...thank you! Yes, your friend, Ponyhead brought this over for me to try on. I find it rather suiting, to say the least. It's much more comfortable than the heavy, itchy article of clothing called a dress."

"Wait, Ponyhead...but...she doesn't wear clothes! How the-" Star wondered.

"I'm as baffled as you, Star." Skywynne replied. Star blankly stared into space.

"Ponyhead, you've gotta hit me up with some threads, girl." Star said faintly.

"I GOTCHA GIRL!" Ponyhead said as she burst right through the front door...leaving a giant hole in it.

"Ponyhead!...hey." Star said.

"GIRL! WHY ARE YOUR HEARTS BACK!? WHO HURT YOU?!" Ponyhead shouted, protecting her best friend. Star leaned back and groaned again.

"Ahhhhh how many times is this going to happen? Later, Ponyhead. I'll tell you later." Star groaned. Marco came running in, wondering what the loud noise was coming from the entryway.

"AH! WHAT'S HAPPENING! STAR? STAR! ARE YOU OKAY! DID YOU GET HURT?" Marco shouted in panic.

"Marco, chill, man. It's just Ponyhead." Star said pointing to her floating friend.

"What the-" Marco turned, seeing a gaping hole in the door. "Ponyhead!"

"Look, you need to cool it, alright? Star can easily fix it with her ma-...oooohhhhh." Ponyhead muttered, realizing her big mistake. Star facepalmed as Marco was standing there with his mouth gaped. "Okay, listen, this is my bad. I am at fault here so like, I'll pay for a new door and I'll even give your house a full-on makeover if you want because we are in a new world now and, you know-"

"Ponyhead? Po-Ponyhead." Star called out. "Just...just-" Star took her hand and made a slicing motion across her neck.

"Anyway, girl. Why you sitting? We should be moving!" Ponyhead exclaimed.

"Uh, no! No, no, no, no, no. Star's staying put, Ponyhead." Marco told her.

"Look, like, I know you're her boyfriend and all now but Star can do what she wants, okay?" Ponyhead told him with a little attitude.

"No, Pony. He's right. I can't...I miiiiiight've gotten hurt so I need to recover."

"...girl, what did that boy do to you. I'll tear him apart. You just say the word…" Ponyhead asked, starting to get heated.

"No, no! He didn't do anything! I was just hit by a...taser." Star told her. Ponyhead stared blankly at her, not having a clue of what a taser was. "It's an electric zap...thingy. Makes you go all-" Star pretended to act like she was being electrocuted.

"Oh...well...that sounds super painful and awful and stuff." Ponyhead responded.

"Seriously, Pony, don't worry about me. I'm good. I got Marco!" Star told her. Marco smiled after hearing her say that.

"Alright...YO! SKYWYNNE! Let's go for a jog or...you know, whatever." Ponyhead yelled.

"But...Ponyhead...you don't...you don't have legs." Marco told her.

"What the-...HEY! Whatcha trying to say about me, huh, Earth Turd? I can't get in shape or something, huh? You're probably just jealous of my fit and slim body I bet, huh? Huh?!" Ponyhead replied loud and proud. Marco did not know how to respond to that. Skywynne and Star were just as speechless.

"I uh...I...but...you know what? Nevermind. I got someone important to look after, okay?" Marco told her.

"Yeah. You two go have fun." Star told her.

"Take care of yourself. Okay, Star?" Skywynne asked her kindly.

"You got it. Marco won't really let me do anything but sit anyway." Star told her.

"Hey!" Marco exclaimed.

"Star, if it means you're going to get well, then it's for your own good." Skywynne said.

"I know, I know." Star said as she began to slouch in her seat, not liking the thought of just...sitting...doing nothing but relaxing...for hours. Star hates boredom and everyone knew that. Marco turned to Skywynne and Ponyhead.

"She'll be fine, guys. Star just needs to come to grips with reality." Marco reassured them.

"You know, Star's lucky to have a guy like you." Skywynne told him. Marco smiled in response. "Anyway, we should get going. Have fun, you two." Skywynne told them.

"We will...safely, though." Marco said to them. Skywynne and Ponyhead rolled their eyes, amused at his response before walking out the now destroyed door.

"Byyyyyye!" Star said. Marco stood there, annoyed.

"I still can't believe she destroyed the door to my house." Marco said out loud.

* * *

Star was laying on the couch, flipping through the many channels on the television in front of her. She honestly didn't know what to watch. There was nothing good on at that time. She would put on a movie but of course, Marco told her not to get up. It was killing her inside; not the pain, exactly, but the fact that she couldn't do stuff she wanted to do. Star almost felt trapped. She couldn't get out and explore with her boyfriend slash best friend. She knew that Marco was only doing what was best for her and she definitely believed that but she only wished there was another way she could heal...and a faster way surely. This whole new world had so much more to offer and they've only seen a smidgen of it. It was like she was trying to overcome boredom all over again like she was in a bathtub filled with magazines not too long ago.

"Nope...nah...ew...ooo what's thi- AH NO!" Star yelled, shielding her eyes. Once the channel was skipped, she continued to scan the channels on the television. Marco walked into the living room, holding two plates of quesadillas.

"Ooo! Food's done!" Star said joyfully as she reached for the plate of quesadillas.

"Yup! Plus, I actually sprinkled sugar on top of yours because I'm feeling generous...even though it destroys the dish but-." Marco handed it to her. She looked at the quesadillas, noticing they were cut in little pieces.

"Hey, Marco? Any reason you cut mine up? I have hands. I've used a sword before. In fact, I learned how to use a knife at like, 6. No reason why I can't use a knife." Star wondered.

"Well, cutting it might hurt for you so I just thought I would do it, you know?" Marco told her.

"Yeah...but...you've transcended the meaning of 'bite-size." Star told him. Marco looked at his plate and then back at hers.

"Hold on." Marco said before he took a fork and knife and cut his quesadilla up into even smaller pieces than Star's. "Better?" Marco chuckled. Star smirked at him before gently elbowing him in his side.

"You dork." Star chuckled. Soon enough, they both started laughing together.

"Okay, so, we got a few choices." Marco said as he took the TV remote and brought up a streaming service on the television. "There's Mackie Hand: The Forbidden Karate Chop...oh and Mackie Hand: Hand to Hand...not to mention Hand to Hand to _Hand_ , the sequel-"

"Marco, you know how many times we've seen those movies? Besides, Mackie hand isn't really, you know, ma thaaaanngg." Star told him. "Oooooo! What's this?!" Star exclaimed as she snatched the remote out of Marco's hands. She pressed a few buttons bringing up another movie title.

"Cat: The Final Kittening?" Marco read the title, questioning it a bit.

"Sounds cute!" Star said.

"I'm not watching a movie about kittens, Star." Marco told her.

"Oh, come on, Mr. Kitten Bomb." Star spoke, taking a shot at him.

"Don't mock the kitten bomb, Star. It worked out in the end and you know it." Marco told her.

"Hey, I'm not mocking it. I'm just saying that maybe you should try something new. You know, bring out that rebel inside you."

"Like you do?" Marco asked.

"Pfft, no. No, no, no, my rebel side is a whole new level of rebel. You aren't ready for that...young grasshopper? Huh...huh...see what I did there because you know, you like Mackie Hand and-" Star told him.

"Star, I'm not watching it." Marco said once more.

"Fiiiiine...party pooper." Star mumbled. "Then how about this one…" Star said as she scrolled to another title on the screen.

"Fists of Fury. Huh...I guess we could try that one. It sounds action-packed." Marco said.

* * *

Some time went by. Star and Marco fell asleep during the movie. Marco opened his eyes slowly, seeing Star laying across his lap. Marco smiled at her and stroked her head. She was so peaceful and for once she wasn't looking as if she was in any pain. It most definitely helped him feel more at ease...until he looked around the room.

His safe-kid sixth sense had kicked in...big time. He saw hazards left and right. Electrical cords laying across the floor for Star to trip on, sharp corners of tables that Star could run into and hurt herself even more; everywhere screamed nothing but disaster to him. He grabbed a pillow from beside him and started sliding to his right carefully so Star didn't wake up. Holding her head up, he replaced his lap with the pillow he picked up, gently lowering her head on it. Marco gazed at Star's sleepy face, taking a hand and stroking her cheek slightly, right where her hearts lied. He let out a slight chuckle, realizing once again how incredibly adorable she was before realizing he had to snap out of it. It was time to get rid of all the hazards around the house.

"Time for Mr. Safe Kid to make his move." Marco said to himself as he rubbed his hands together.

* * *

Star woke up out of her dreams, stretching her arms...and hurting in the process.

"Ow! Ow, ow ,ow…" Star yelped. She slowly opened her eyes, gasping at what she was glancing at.

Bubble wrap…

There was bubble wrap everywhere you looked; on the floor, on the walls, spiraling around every piece of furniture. It was covering every inch...well, all except for the coffee table in front of her.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…" Star was speechless. Marco suddenly came in with yet another roll of bubble wrap. Marco turned, seeing Star sitting up, wide awake.

"Oh, hey, Star!" Marco spoke.

"Whhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…" Star didn't know how to respond to this as her eyes continued to wander around the room.

"You were really knocked out. It was a boring movie anyway. Who would've thought it would be about the economy, right?" Marco added as he walked further into the room.

"What is...that...in your hand…" Star asked, pointing to the roll he was holding.

"Oh...bubble wrap." Marco chuckled as he walked over to the coffee table.

"Okay...why…" Star questioned.

"There's uh...sharp corners." Marco replied as he pointed to the corners of the coffee

Table. Star made a straight face from how ridiculous he was being.

"Wait a minute...you're safe-kidding me!" Star realized.

"What?! No no no." Marco replied.

"Yes, yes yes! Wait, wait, are you trying to turn me into one?" Star asked

"No, I'm-" Marco tried to talk.

"Like, are you trying to create a 'safe-kid cult' or something?" Star added, using air quotes.

"Listen, I just-" Marco tried talking again.

"Ooo or maybe a whole army of safe kids!" Star wondered.

"I just want to keep you safe, Star!" Marco exclaimed. Star immediately stopped talking. "Your mom...asked me to." Star gasped. Her mom asked him to? Now she wondered what her mother even said to him back at the temple to get him to act like this. He wasn't just a safe kid right now. He was safe-kid to the max; safe kid: extreme! Star decided to keep calm, patting the seat next to her on the couch. Marco, feeling a wave of fear and frustration, walked over to her and sat next to her.

"Alright, Marco, tell me how my mom traumatized you to cover the room in bubble wrap." Star spoke.

"She didn't traumatize me." Marco told her. "Look, your mom told me that...she couldn't trust anyone else to be your boyfriend more than me and that...because of your hearts coming back, something could happen to you. She asked me to protect you and...I know if I don't do that, I might lose that trust your mom has for me." Marco explained as he dropped his head. Star shook her head in amusement.

"I don't think me scraping my knee or tripping on something would make my mom not like you any less." Star told him.

"Okay but...it's also that I...I don't like seeing you get hurt." Marco told her, lifting his head to look at her. "Watching what happened to you back at the temple...scared me. I've gotten so close to losing you on more than one occasion; Toffee, Meteora...when we 'supposedly' destroyed the magic? I really want to prevent anything else from happening to you." He added, turning his eyes away from her. "I can't bear watching you get hurt again." Star never took a moment to realize how Marco felt about what happened. It must have startled him into complete madness...well, according to the entire living room being covered in bubble wrap.

"Hey, you know...you can't protect me from everything." Star told him. She could see that saying that wasn't enough to cheer him up. Star took her hand and caressed his cheek. "Marco..." Marco turned his gaze to her. "I know you don't like it when I get hurt but...I mean, look at me! I'm fine! And another thing. You know what I also know is important to you?"

"What?" Marco asked.

"My happiness." Star replied.

"Wait, how do you know that?" Marco questioned.

"Because that's one thing I find most important when it comes to you." Star said. Marco smiled.

"Oh." Marco responded.

"Look, we're both going to be upset if either one of us gets hurt. But...we can't prevent it. All that matters is keeping each other happy, okay? Besides...even if I do get hurt, you can't lose your starshine, am I right?" Star said with a smile. Marco beamed back.

"You _do_ keep me smiling every day and night after all." Marco slightly chuckled. Star and Marco leaned in for a little quick kiss. It only lasted a second. "You know, I think we could both use a few days of relaxation after all that's happened.."

"Agreed. We really need to chilllll out for a bit." Star replied. An idea suddenly popped into her head. She let out a gasp. "Oh my gosh! BEACH DAY 2.0!" She expressed loudly. Marco covered his ears from her overly powerful voice.

"Star, that's _far_ from chill." Marco told her.

"Listen, Marco! Once I'm better, we are going to the beach...again!"

"Once you're better though, right?" Marco asked, reminding her that she's hurt.

"Yes, Marco. Once I'm better." Star responded. "But just you wait, Marco! Beach

day 1.0 was fun, but 2.0 will be even _better_. We are going to be living life and having even more fun than ever before! Plus, we're going together as a couple this time! It might be romantic." Star said as she took his hands and intertwined her fingers with his.

"You know, you're right. We could use a little R and R. Good idea, Star!" Marco said.

"I know...I am good." Star responded as she flipped her hair. Marco chuckled at her response.

"In the meantime, up for another movie? One that's actually a little more thrilling this time?...and not about the economy?" Marco asked. A gleaming smile suddenly grew on Star's face.

"Like Cat: The Final Kittening?!" Star asked excitedly as she giggled. Marco let out a breath. He _really_ didn't want to watch it but...if it made Star smile, he would do it for her.

"Fiinnnne. If it means you're happy, then I'm happy." Marco told her as he picked up the television remote and turned on the TV, bringing up the family's streaming service once again. He searched for the movie Star wanted to watch and began to play it. Marco then put his arm around Star as Star snuggled into Marco, initiating a little cuddling session while a ton of meowing came from the television.

"Well, time to get my headphones. Rainforest sounds are calling me." Glossaryk said, dreading to hear anything but cat noises for hours on end.


	17. Beach Day 2.0

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Beach Day 2.0**

"Snacks?" Star asked while she put her hair up in a ponytail. Star and Marco were in the bathroom, preparing for their day at the beach. They were both wearing their beach attire.

"Check." Marco replied as he looked for specific items in Star's beach bag. Star's wound healed after a few days, thanks to Marco's care...and safe-kidness, of course. That was when Star and Marco decided that they should celebrate Star's recovery by doing what they were planning on for days; Beach Day 2.0. The day had finally arrived. To them, It felt like it's been forever since they planned this. Star was beyond excited; so excited that she took the necessary precautions, making sure that they didn't forget anything like they did last time.

"Beach ball?" Star asked Marco.

"Check." Marco responded.

"Sunscreen?"

"Cheeeekeroo."

"Camera?"

"Che-...wait…uh...it's not in here." Marco told her, scratching his head as he continued to look through the beach bag.

"Ahhhh pegasus feathers! Where is it?" Star wondered as she walked out of the bathroom and into Marco's room, panicking a little bit.

"I don't know. You were the last one that had it." Marco told her as he stood up and followed Star.

"Hey, when you see Mariposa with blueberries up her nose, you capture that memorable moment!" Star explained to him as she looked around every corner for a sight of the camera. "Agh, where is the blasted thing?!" She asked herself, unnerved.

"Star, relaaaax. We can always buy another one if we can't find it." Marco reassured her.

"I know. I'm just so frustrated that I keep losing cameras. It's almost like I have some sort of...camera curse...or something." Star said as she looked under Marco's bed. Marco shook his head in amusement.

"I don't think you have a camera curse. People lose things all the time. Like the other day I lost one of my red hoodies...still haven't found it ye-" Marco paused, seeing a suspicious look on Star. "Staaaaar...did you take my hoodie...again?"

"What? What hoodie? I don't know of any hoodie of which you speak of? Why would I know about a hoodie?" Star nervously chuckled, rubbing her arm while looking away.

"You took it, didn't you!?" Marco exclaimed.

"...yes?" Star said quietly

"Star!" Marco loudly spoke as his arms flailed about.

"Oh, come on, Marco! It's sooooooo comfy! Besides, it's customary that a boyfriend lets his girlfriend wear his hoodie, you know." Star explained to him, trying to make a point.

"Well...okay, I guess you're right. I have like, 20 more anyway." Marco told her.

"Wait, wait, wait...how many?" Star questioned before hearing the front doorbell ring downstairs. "I'll get it!" She loudly proclaimed, walking out of Marco's room and sliding down the stair railing. Once she reached the first floor, Star opened the door, seeing Tom and Janna standing there, wearing beach day attire and bags leaning on their shoulders. Tom was also holding two umbrellas with his one arm. "Tom! Janna! You're here!" Star blurted out.

"Yeah. You _did_ say to come here at 11 AM if we wanted to come sooooo...yeah. Here we are." Tom explained.

"But wait...Janna, I thought you said you weren't a beach person." Star spoke, scratching the top of her head, confused.

"Eh, I wasn't going to go but Tom made a deal with me." Janna told her.

"Which wassss…." Star speculated.

"This." Janna said, taking out a really tiny bottle of some type of liquid.

"What...is that?" Star asked, pointing at the bottle.

"Spit." Janna said.

"Janna! Gross!" Star shouted, backing away from it.

"Hey, I read somewhere that if you combine this with a few ingredients, you can possess demon powers." Janna explained. Star glanced at Tom in shock.

"Yeaaahhh, I don't know either." Tom shrugged. Marco suddenly came down the steps, carrying Star's bag and the beach ball.

"Oh! Hey guys! I didn't think you were coming!" Marco said.

"Well, I made a deal with T-" Janna started before Star covered her mouth.

"You don't want to know, Marco. It's...it's gross." Star told him.

"Got it." Marco replied. "So, any sign of the camera yet?" He asked. Star groaned.

"No. I have a feeling we're going to be out of luck." Star responded.

"I have a camera." Janna said, taking a camera out of her bag. Marco took a close look at the camera in her hands.

"Wait a minute...that's our camera!" Marco yelled, pointing at it.

"Huh...you're right." Janna said, realizing she must have borrowed it a few days ago.

"How the heck do you slip things right through people's fingers like that?" Tom asked her.

"I never reveal my secrets." Janna replied.

"Whatever. At least we know where it is." Star said. "Now...TO THE BEACH!...AGAIN!" Star proclaimed, pointing in the air.

"Alright. Let me just tell mom and dad we're heading out." Marco said as he went into the kitchen to talk to them.

"Wait, where's Skywynne?" Tom asked. Marco stopped to answer.

"Oh, she's out getting some food at a fondue place." Marco said.

"What's...fondue?" Star asked, curious.

"Oh, it's food that you pot on skewers and cook in a pot. It originated in Switzerland!" Marco told her.

"Ahhhh...what's Swissland?" Star asked as she tried to pronounce it for the first time, realizing she said it completely wrong.

" _Switzerland_ , Star. It's a country in-...you know what? I'll just take you out for fondue later this week." Marco said, finding Star's curiosity about fondue amusing. "Anyway, I'll be right back." Marco told his friends as he headed to the kitchen. He walked in, seeing his parents at the counter, organizing some pictures on top of a page in a scrapbook.

"Mom? Dad? We're leaving." Marco said. He noticed the photographs in front of them. "Hey, are those pictures of Mariposa?" He asked them.

"Why, yes! We made a scrapbook of you so why not do the same with pictures of your hermanita!" Rafael told him. Marco came closer to them to look at the pictures of her.

"Aww. They look great." Marco said, smiling as he took a glance at the photographs.

"Isn't Mariposa the cutest thing? It's just like how you were when you were little." Angie sighed. "It's as if I'm living those days all over again, except this time she has a wonderful big brother to look up to now." Angie told him. Marco felt so lucky to have a baby sister; someone who he could be a role model to and a little sister he could teach about all the wonders of the worldl. Now that he was together with Star, Mariposa could learn even more and maybe even follow in their footsteps. She could discover new things, travel all the corners of the planet, and possibly even save it a time or two. Marco almost began to picture her all grown up. I mean, he did see her grown up one time so that helped him a bit. He suddenly realized that his friends were waiting.

"Well, I would love to stay and help but there's a beach waiting for us." Marco said as he walked out of the kitchen, waving goodbye to them.

"Have fun, son!" Rafael said. He looked at his son, seeing how grown up he has become. He started to tear up a bit.

"Rafael, are you okay?" Angie asked him.

"He's not a little boy anymore." Rafael whimpered. Angie took her hand and patted his shoulder.

"...and I thought I was emotional…" Angie said to herself. Star, Marco, and their two friends all walked out the door as Marco closed the door behind him.

"Soooo who's car are we taking?" Star asked.

"Well, we could take my car." Marco said.

"Hold on. You have a car?" Tom asked.

"Riiiight! You guys never saw it! Hold on." Marco said as he reached in his hoodie pocket and took out a set of keys, opening up the garage door. The door lifted, revealing Marco's blood moon red Hidasta Dusk.

"Okay, now _that_ is a nice car." Tom said.

"I know right? Wait till you hear what's under the hood!" Marco told him as they all went to the trunk to put their beach gear away. Once that was done, they all got in the car. Marco sat in the driver's seat as Star sat next to him in the passenger seat. Tom and Janna sat behind them. "Alright, now Tom. Take notes. This is how you're supposed to drive."

"Wait, hold on. Let me get my phone out." Tom said, being completely gullible. Janna stopped him as he reached in his pocket.

"Dude, he wasn't serious." Janna said.

"Oh...okay." Tom said, taking his hand out of his pocket again. Marco put the keys in the car and started the ignition, taking the wheel and putting his feet on the gas pedal. He pulled out of the garage and turned right, speeding up as they all made their way to the beach. Tom looked at the car with a raised eyebrow.

"You know, this car looks familiar to me for some reason." Tom said. Janna observed the car as well.

"Yeah. You're right. Wierd." Janna added. Star and Marco froze like stone statues, realizing that he saw this car the day of the fireworks show. They completely forgot! What do they say? Star attempted to come up with the best cover up possible.

"Oh...please. Everyone has this car! It's uh...in style...right now. Right, Marco?" Star said anxiously as she cleared her throat, hinting to him that he needed to help her make this believable.

"Uhhhhh...yyyyyyyes! Seriously, Tom. You've got to get with the times...uh...buddyyy." Marco nervously chuckled as he began to sweat. They both held their breath, hoping that Tom and Janna would believe them.

"Eh, I guess." Janna shrugged.

"You know, you have a point. I'm from the Underworld, not Earth so I don't know much about this place." Tom said. Star and Marco simultaneously let out a sigh of relief, thankful that Janna and Tom thought what they said was true. Star began to observe all the buttons on the dashboard, curious as to what they all did. She saw one button that had the words, "Conv. Top" on it.

"Oooo! What does this do?" Star asked as she pressed the button.

"No, no! Don't press-" Marco exclaimed, worrying the button would do something that he didn't want. Suddenly, the roof began to collapse, turning the car into a full-fledged convertible. "Huh...that's new..." Marco said as he looked up for a second before putting his eyes back on the road.

"See, I don't know why you don't mess with the buttons more." Star told him.

"That's because I don't know what they all do. I have to read the manual before I-" Marco started before Star was about to press another button.

"How about this one!" Star wondered, excited as she pressed it. Suddenly, the song _Space Unicorn_ started blasting from the speaker system. It was so loud that the whole town of Echo Creek could hear it. "OH MY GOSH! I LOVE THIS SONG!" Star exclaimed as she started to dance in her seat and giggle.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Tom shouted.

"NO, NO I'M OKAY!" Star yelled back.

"I THINK MARCO KNOWS THE WAY, STAR!" Janna exclaimed.

"HOW DO YOU TURN THIS THING DOWN?!" Marco asked loudly.

"YOUR CAR ISN'T BROWN, MARCO! IT'S RED!" Star shouted at him.

"WAIT, WHO SAID THEY HAVE BREAD!? WHAT IS BREAD EXACTLY?!" Tom screamed. Marco rolled his eyes as he multitasked, looking for the volume control while he drove the car. Once he found the knob that controls the volume, he turned it down.

"WHO THE HECK IS FRED?!" Star yelled, before realizing the volume was lower. "Oh…"

"Wait, Fred? What?" Marco wondered.

"Who said anything about Fred?" Tom asked.

"I didn't say Fred...even though my skeleton ex is named Fred." Janna said.

"Ooooohhhh so that's his name!" Star replied.

"Anyway…" Marco spoke. They all became silent, wondering what in the world just happened while the car stopped at a traffic light. They suddenly heard a voice in the distance.

"PLAY THAT SONG AGAIN! I LIKED IT!" An old woman said as she stood in her front yard, watering flowers. Marco looked back before face-planting into the wheel, making the car beep loudly.

"AH!" Marco jumped.

* * *

After about 30 minutes of driving, they finally made it to the beach. Star and Marco loved the fact that their trip there worked out a lot better than what happened last time. Marco drove around, looking for a parking spot. For some reason, almost all the spaces were occupied by other cars.

"Wow. There's a _lot_ of people at the beach today." Marco mentioned.

"Duh, it's like, the perfect day for the beach. Look at that Earthni sky!" Star told him. Marco turned his head quickly.

"Wait, what's Earthni?" Marco asked.

"Oh, you like it? I came up with it last night. I felt like we needed a name for this world since it's new and all." Star said.

"I dig it. It kind of rolls off the tongue, you know?" Tom said.

"So wait, like, are we...Earthnians now or something?" Marco asked.

"I guess." Janna replied. Marco looked around before finally seeing an empty parking spot.

"Ugh. Finally! Park it, Diaz!" Star exclaimed as she pointed to the parking spot.

"Hey, don't rush me. I have to be careful when I park. I don't want to pay for any scratches on other cars." Marco said. Star leaned back in her seat.

"Marco, it can't be that hard. Like, I can do it with my eyes closed." Star told him, pointing to her eyes as she closed them.

"...which is exactly what _causes_ car accidents." Marco replied with a straight face. Star opened her eyes back up.

"How do you know if you never tried?" Star asked.

"Really, Star? When the driving instructor tells you to keep your eyes on the road, it doesn't mean look straight _and_ close your eyes." Marco explained to her as he pulled into the parking spot slowly but surely.

"They never said _not_ to close your eyes though. Seriously, Marco, what if you need to blink? I've seen videos online. You can't prove me wrong." Star asked.

"She has a point you know." Tom said.

"Yeah, she's right." Janna added.

"I would think that _you_ out of all people would know not to close your eyes, Janna. You have a license too!" Marco told her.

"Hey, it doesn't mean I'm not a daredevil." Janna said.

"Woah, hey! Now that is offensive in my world!" Tom spoke.

"Guys! The beach is literally right there and here we are talking about how to drive." Star interrupted, reaching her arms out towards the beach.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's head over there." Marco chuckled as he turned off the four of them got out of the car, walking to the trunk. Marco opened the trunk, making it so they could all get their beach gear out of it. Star looked inside of it, seeing a ton of safety equipment in it; a megaphone, nun-chucks, hard hats...a hazmat suit. I mean, where in the world does Marco get all this stuff? Star didn't say anything. She just gave him a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, it'll all be put to good use one day." Marco said.

"Marco...oh my dear, dear Marco…" Star started as she came close to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You need help, man." She chuckled. Marco gave her a deadpan expression.

"Alright. That's everything...well, at least I hope it is. I've never been to an Earth beach. You said we didn't need a first aid kit sooo…" Tom told them.

"I said that because there are no bodies of lava on Earth beaches...right?" Marco wondered. "I mean, it's not Earth anymore...it's Earth _ni_ so like, it shouldn't be...right?"

"Well, we won't find out just standing here!" Star said as she excitedly began to walk towards the beach. Everyone else followed her. After a minute of walking, they came to the beach...except it wasn't the beach they were used to. This beach was entirely different. They gasped at the sight of it.

"Woooaahhh…" Marco said under his breath.

"That is…" Tom started.

"Yeah." Janna added.

"Amaaaaziinngg…" Star spoke.

This beach was probably one of the most breathtaking things they have ever seen. It was definitely not a typical Earth beach like Star and Marco were used to. The sand wasn't just normal Earth sand anymore. Within the sand were small crystal clear stones, almost mimicking gemstones, like diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds. The sky was multi-colored, consisting of blues and purples. Way out in the water were ships of all kinds; both from Earth and Mewni. Mewmans, humans, and even monsters were situated across the beach, set up with umbrellas and beach towels while some of the children of all three species were playing cornball or some other sport. The ocean sparkled with not just blue, but shades of pink and green. It was so clear, you could see hundreds of tropical fish and dolphins swimming in it.

"No way…" Marco said to himself. "I have never seen anything so beautiful in my life…" He turned his head, seeing Star glaring at him. Marco took notice of it, gulping in response. "Oh, uh...except you, Star." He added with a giant guilty-looking smile. Star grinned back at him before taking her gaze back to the beach.

"This is going to be even better than the last beach day! Everything is even more perfect this time!" Star said as she started to run onto the beach. "WOO!" She screamed, dropping to the ground and rolling down the sandy hills in front of them, not even caring that she had a beach bag filled with items in her arms.

"Dude, was she like this last time?" Tom asked, wondering if Star has lost it slightly.

"Aw, come on! She's excited." Marco said. "I think it's adorable." Marco said as his eyes started glistening as he watched her. They started to follow her further into the beach, looking for a spot. "Hey Star! We should find a place to put our stuff before we go all beach crazy!" Marco called out.

"Huh!? Oh, right!" Star yelled from afar. She ran back to them, walking with them as they searched for an area to put their stuff and set up. Marco noticed Janna wasn't really in the "beach day" mood. He decided to make sure she was alright.

"Janna? You okay?" Marco asked.

"Yeah. Like I said, I'm not a beach person. Haunted hospitals are more of my thing." Janna shrugged.

"...why?" Marco said, slightly disturbed that she found haunted hospitals to be 'fun'.

"Hey, we'll make sure you have a fun time." Tom said. Janna smiled back at him. Star watched as they were conversing. She and Marco backed away, giving them some space. They both smiled as they watched before Star leaned closer to Marco.

"Hey...Marco?" Star whispered.

"Yeah?" Marco asked.

"I have an idea." Star said quietly but excitedly.

"Star, are you wanting to meddle again?" Marco asked.

"Meddle? Pfffft...no. I don't even know the art of 'meddling'." Star told him.

"Yes, you do." Glossaryk said inside her head. Star groaned.

"Glossaryk? Go away." Star said.

"Fine. I just wanted to be part of the beach day but alas...I have been shunned...once again." Glossaryk responded. She suddenly heard dubstep music inside her mind.

"What the-...is that dubstep? What happened to the rainforest sounds? And the ocean waves?" Star asked.

"I'm just trying something new. It's hip, yo." Glossaryk said. Star got chills.

"Marco...Glossaryk's trying to act...hip." She told him.

"Okay, even I think that's wrong!" Marco said.

"You two are extremely disappointing." Glossaryk told them, even though Marco couldn't

hear him. "If you need me, I'll be grooving to the beat...dude." He said as Star face-palmed. She then brought her attention back to Marco.

"Anyway, I do not know of this _meddling_ that you speak of, Marco." Star told him, using air quotes. Marco raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not that gullible, you know." Marco told her.

"Okay, fine. But I _promise_ we wouldn't have to do anything in this case." Star replied. Marco decided to hear what she had to say since she said they wouldn't have to be involved.

"...I'm listening." Marco said.

"I say we leave them by themselves for a bit, you know? Give them some time to enjoy some _alone_ time." Star said.

"Hmm...that's not a bad idea. This is a pretty romantic atmosphere too so it could help." Marco said. He suddenly stopped in his tracks before Star did as well. "Speaking of 'romantic atmospheres...since we're leaving them alone, we could...uh...you know…" Marco started.

"Uhhh...what?" Star wondered.

"Well, if they're having some _alone_ time, mayyybbeee...we could...um..." Marco explained as he turned to Star, wrapping his arms around her shoulders

"Marco Diaz, are you implying that we...should have some _alooooone_ time?" Star asked, gleefully as she reciprocated, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I don't know...I mean...we could. I know I would enjoy it." Marco replied with a grin. He leaned in and kissed Star's cheek, right near where her hearts lied. Star giggled in response to Marco's touch. They began to lean in for a kiss until, all of a sudden, they heard a voice from up ahead of them.

"Hey! Lovebirds! You coming?" Janna asked them, noticing Star and Marco getting a little lovey-dovey in the distance. Star and Marco's froze mid-kiss, realizing they were being watched. They quickly pulled away, blushing as Marco cleared his throat while Star looked away, rubbing her neck.

"Oops." Marco said, feeling a bit embarrassed. He wasn't afraid to flirt with Star in public. He just didn't like to be called out on it so everyone knew he was doing it.

"Blame the beach, Marco. Romantic Atmosphere, remember?." Star said, winking before they both laughed, following Tom and Janna as they continued to look for a spot.

A few minutes went by before they finally found somewhere to put their belongings. They put up the umbrellas Tom brought and laid four beach towels on the ground, resting their bags on each one. Marco came prepared with some sandwiches...and made sure the seagulls wouldn't eat them like last time. Once they were all situated, Star and Marco felt eager to go into the water for a bit.

"Guys! Let's go swimming! Seriously, I am just _dying_ to go in that water!" Star told them, pointing to the ocean.

"Wait, are you sure it's water and not something like...acid or…" Tom wondered.

"Tom, there are people in it right now." Star told him.

"Besides, that isn't possible…but you know what is though? Man-eating sea creatures? Or maybe the Loch Ness monster. That would be so cool." Janna said.

"Janna, the Loch Ness monster is just a myth." Marco reminded her.

"Says you." Janna said.

"Okay, I don't even know what _that_ even is but I'm going in the water." Star said. She then thought of an idea. "Hey, you know, you two don't _have_ to come with us, you know." Star told Tom and Janna. Marco wondered why she was telling them this until he realized what she was planning just now.

"Uh...yeah! You guys can stay here if you want." Marco added as he walked towards Star.

"Oh...you sure?" Tom asked.

"Oh, yeah. I think you two will keep each other _great_ company." Star said as she smirked before she and Marco turned around, walking towards the water. She turned her head to Marco. "Hey...Marco...race you to the water?" Star asked.

"Okay, let me just-" Marco started as he got into starting position before Star began to run to the ocean.

"Too slow!" Star exclaimed as she laughed, sprinting ahead of him.

"Hey! No fair!" Marco called out as he ran after Star. Once he caught up to her, he took his arms and lifted her off the ground.

"Aah!" Star yelped, laughing even harder. Marco, holding Star in his arms, ran into the water just deep enough to where he could hold Star above his head. "Woah...Marco! I didn't know you were that strong! Are you sure you aren't covering up those abs because I-" Star started to say until he tossed her into the water. Star came up from underneath the ocean, splashing Marco in the face.

"Star!" Marco chuckled before Star leaped onto him, clinging onto Marco as she had her arms rested around his neck. Star and Marco laughed extremely hard before they began to gaze into each other's eyes, calming down a bit. "You know, this is nice." Marco told her.

"Yeah. I, uh...I like this." Star replied with a smile. "Talk about a win-win scenario with leaving them by themselves, huh?" She added.

"I know, right?" Marco chuckled at what she said before taking one hand around her waist. He took his other free hand and removed some of Star's wet hair from her face, now being able to see both her glistening blue eyes. This moment couldn't have been more perfect. A breathtaking Earthni beach setting, the two of them wrapped around each other, the feeling of warm ocean water, the sound of calm ocean waves, the possibility of Tom and Janna becoming even closer by leaving them alone; they never wanted this moment to end. They had nothing to worry about or be concerned with. Sure, Star's hearts were still something they had to figure out. That wasn't important at this time. They deserved this time off. They earned the right to relax.

After a bit of time of looking into one another's eyes, they leaned in for a kiss. They parted for just a second.

"Mmm...right where we left off." Star spoke. They both smiled at each other before their lips came together again. The noises around them dissipated and everyone around them became faint. That's what love really felt like for them. It was just the two of them and no one else; their own little dream world where love was what was the most important piece of life...that is until they heard someone speak nearby.

"You know there are children at this beach, right?" A familiar voice told them in the water. Star and Marco pulled apart instantly, looking around them till they noticed a well-known face laughing at her own comment.

"Jackie!" They both exclaimed.


	18. Just Like Old Times...Sort Of

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Just Like Old Times...Sort Of**

"Oh my gosh! Jackie! Jackie! Jackie!" Star exclaimed as she let go of Marco to hug her. Jackie chuckled as she was embraced by her good friend while Marco stood there, frozen and a bit embarrassed after his ex-girlfriend caught sight of him kissing Star.

"What's up, you two?" Jackie responded with a smile, patting Star on the back. They let go of each other after a few seconds. She turned her face to Marco. "Hey." Jackie waved at him.

"Uh…" Marco cleared his throat. "Hi...there...uh...Jackie." He told her, sweating like a pig in the water.

"Dude, you okay?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah, Marco. you look like you're melting." Star added.

"Uh...yeah. I'm okay. I'm just a bit...uh..." Marco said.

"Chill out, Diaz. You have the right to kiss your girlfriend in front of me. It's cool. What else you do with Star is your business." Jackie told him.

"Oh. Okay." Marco anxiously chuckled. His eyes suddenly went wide. "Wait, what do you mean when you say what else we-" Marco started before Star interrupted.

"Ahh I'm so happy you're here!" Star exclaimed, hopping as she stood in the seawater.

"So you're not going to explain what you just said?" Marco tried to say again. Jackie and Star unintentionally ignored everything he was saying, mainly because they were so excited to see each other.

"Same to you, Star!"Jackie replied.

"Why do I even bother." Marco said, dropping his head down as he facepalmed.

"I'm glad to see you both finally came to your senses." Jackie chuckled. Marco shifted his palm away from his one eye.

"Wait, what?" Star wondered as Marco lifted his head up.

"I'm talking about you two being a thing now! It's about time." Jackie said to Marco as he walked over to her.

"Oh! Well...thanks!" Marco chuckled.

"So, who confessed first? Give me all the details." Jackie said, eager to know the full story.

"Well, it was Marco who started it...well not on purpose because you know, we were in the realm of magic and we got all loopy loops. Anyway, this adorable man…" Star said as she booped Marco's cheek. Marco reciprocated with a giggle before Star rested an arm on his shoulder. "...told me that he loved me."

"Awww. How sweet!" Jackie said with enthusiasm.

"I...know! He couldn't remember it afterwards though because you can't remember anything that happens in the realm of magic. So then we were in this pig goat barn that smelled like poop and stuff and I told him what he told me." Star leaned closer to Jackie to whisper something to her. "You should've seen the look Marco gave me. He looked like something hit him right in the face." She said quietly...although Marco could still hear exactly what he said. Marco's face turned red.

"Hey! I was in shock!" Marco added.

"Uh huh. Sure. Anyway, that's when he told me he's felt like this since the beginning but was afraid to tell me because he thought I wanted to stay friends which like...that's _far_ from true, you know? So we kissed and all that jazz and...yeah. Now here we are." Star told him.

"Well, what can I say other than I'm happy for the two of you." Jackie said, being super supportive.

"Thanks...even though I'm sure I didn't have that face." Marco corrected Star.

"Yes, you did." Star replied. "Speaking of which, where's Chloe?"

"Oh, she's over there catching some waves." Jackie said, pointing to Chloe out in the distance, surfing her heart out on a gigantic wave using a neon green surf board. "Montre-nous quelques mouvements, Chloé!" Jackie exclaimed to her. Star and Marco wish they knew french so they could know what she just said. Chloe nodded before doing a few backflips and handstands on her surf board. Star and Marco watched in amazement.

"Woooaahhh...radicalllll…" Star muttered under her breath as Marco's mouth was gaped open.

"I know right?" Jackie responded. "So I'm guessing you guys are the only ones here? You two on a date?" That's when Star realized something. Jackie doesn't know what's going on between Janna and Tom. Heck, she hasn't even met Tom yet! After all this time of knowing the both of them, how have they never come across each other before?! Star's eyes started to sparkle. Marco could tell she was plotting something in her mind.

"Uh...Star? Arrre you okay?" Marco asked.

"Marco…" Star put a hand on his shoulder. "She has no clue about…" Star turned her head to face Marco. "..the plaaaaan." Star said in a sinister voice.

"...should I be scared right now?" Jackie asked, a little cautious.

"Nope. This is normal." Marco said with no surprise.

"Tell herrrrrrrr." Star said in that continuous creepy tone of hers, saying it in his her.

"Star...that's creepy...you know, how you're talking in my ear...right now?" Marco told her. Star didn't even respond. She just kept wiggling her eyebrows. Marco let out a breath.

"Alright. So we-" He noticed Star with the most eager look across her face. "...okay, mostly Star, are trying to set up Janna with Tom." Marco explained.

"Huh…" Jackie muttered with a confused look on her face.

"What?" Star wondered.

"Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it. It's just that Janna's the last person I would see as the "dating" type, you know? She's always seemed like a loner to me, you know?" Jackie explained. "And who's Tom again?" She asked.

"Riiiiight. You haven't even met Tom yet." Marco also realized. "I mean, we can go over to them if you-"

"LET'S GO!" Star interrupted, pulling Marco by the arm, making him yelp.

"Woah!" Marco exclaimed. Jackie shook her head in amusement.

"Good on you, Diaz…" Jackie sighed as she followed them out of the water. "...knew it from the beginning." Jackie then stopped, turning to Chloe who was doing a handstand on her surfboard a good bit away from her. "Chloe!" She called out, making Chloe's head turn to her. "Je reviens tout de suite!" Jackie told her. Chloe gave her a thumbs up in response, using her other hand to balance herself.

Once the trio made it out of the water, they ran over to the place they set up their stuff. Thankfully, Marco remembered where they were...Star completely forgot due to the excitement and surprises the day was bringing. When they arrived at their spot, they confronted something they didn't expect.

"Wait...where's Tom and Janna?" Marco asked.

"I...I don't know." Star replied before they all looked around trying to look for them.

"Maybe they went to one of the outhouses nearby?" Jackie wondered.

"True, true. They could just be uh...taking a bathroom break or something." Star spoke.

"Should we just stay here and wait for them to come back?" Marco asked.

"Good idea." Star said as the three of them sat down, waiting for them to come back.

* * *

An hour went by. It was now around 3 PM. Tom and Janna still weren't back. Star started tapping her feet, feeling a slight bit of worry and impatience. Marco tried to break the silence.

"Huh….soooooo maybe they ate something uh...bad?" Marco guessed.

"Really, Marco..." Star sneered.

"Yeah, like...it's been over an hour." Jackie added.

"Hey, wha-...I mean...come on! Is it wrong to think positive for once?" Marco asked, trying to make a point.

"Whatever. Look, they should've been back by now. I say we try looking for them around the beach or the outskirts of town."

"Why the outskirts of town?" Jackie questioned.

"Jackie, you might have not met Tom yet but I mean...we're talking about Janna here." Marco told her.

"Good point." Jackie replied as Star took her cell phone out of her pocket and started to type on the keypad.

"What are you doing?" Marco asked.

"Texting Tom and Janna." Star told him.

"Makes sense. They could tell you where they are." Jackie said

"Unless there's no cell reception..." Marco said.

"What happened to thinking positive?" Jackie wondered.

"There are always setbacks to consider." Marco said. Star started groaning as she dropped her head.

"No baaaarrss." Star mumbled.

"Told you." Marco said. Star lifted her head back up and looked at him with an annoyed look on her face. He just _had_ to jinx it.

"Alright. Plan B. We have to think like Janna and Tom." Star said.

"Woah woah wait. Okay, Tom, I can handle. But Janna? She's the most mysterious person we know!...and the creepiest." Marco spoke.

"Fine. Then we think like Tom." Star said. "You coming, Jackie?"

"Please. You think I would leave two friends behind in their time of need?" Jackie told them. Star and Marco smiled at her response. She suddenly turned around. "Chloe! Time for action!" Chloe came out of the water, running with her surfboard, looking almost as cool as when lifeguards run in slow motion in movies and commercials.

"Wooooooooah." Star breathed. Chloe came up to the group, giving them all her full attention.

"Bonjour!" Chloe said. Jackie turned to her.

"Mes amis ont besoin d'aide pour chercher leurs amis. Ils pourraient être perdus ou en difficulté. Etes-vous en mesure de nous aider à les trouver?" Jackie asked her. Star and Marco stared blankly, wondering what in the world she just said. Chloe nodded her head. Jackie turned her head back to her two friends.

"She said she would help." Jackie told them with a smile.

"Yay!" Star exclaimed before she started hurrying away from the group. Marco turned to Jackie, who was beginning to roll up the towels laying on the sand.

"Hey Jackie? Uh...if you don't mind me asking, _how_ and _when_ did you learn to speak French like that?" Marco asked her.

"It wasn't too hard. I learned a little bit way before I went to France and then, once I made it there, I had a bit of help." Jackie said as she looked at Chloe, putting her arm on her shoulder. Marco shed a smile. "What is it, Marco?"

"Oh...nothing! I'm just glad that you...you know...found someone to be close to." Marco told her.

"Thanks. I feel the same way about you and Star. You two make a perfect pair. I...kind of felt that way after what happened at the Pier." Jackie told him.

"Wait, what?" Marco wondered.

"Yeah, I mean...you might have thought that Mewni was what you were missing in your life but...what I don't think you were fully aware of was that...what you were telling yourself was far from true." Jackie explained. Marco looked down on the ground, trying to figure out what she was telling him. Jackie shook her head and rolled her eyes with a smile. "Marco...what was missing in your life was Star, not Mewni." Marco lifted his head, finally realizing what she said was true. A thought suddenly came to his mind.

"Jackie...is that why you broke up with me that day?" Marco asked. Jackie grinned.

"...to be truly honest, yeah." Jackie told him. Marco looked to his side, then back at her.

"...so it had nothing to do with me then? I mean, I know we had this conversation before at Britta's. I just want to make sure." Marco tried to clarify.

"Marco, I could tell that Star was the person you cared about more than anything and, well...I didn't want you to lose the person that was that important in your life." Jackie explained. Then she wondered… "Wait, where did Star go?" She asked. Marco looked frantically around the beach until he saw Star running towards the parking lot. Thankfully, she was still on the beach so he could call her over.

"Uh, Star?! Our stuff!" Marco called out. Star stopped herself so hard that her feet went underneath the sand.

"Right!" Star said as she tried to get her feet out from underneath the sandy ground. "Uh...help...please..." Star asked, chuckling anxiously. Marco rolled her eyes and came over to help her, bringing over a shovel; an actual shovel. It was half the length of his entire body. Star crossed her arms and chuckled slightly. "Marco...really? We're not digging for the Underworld here."

"What if there was a sinkhole and people got trapped?" Marco asked.

"You're talking about the things in space? Those are black holes, Marco, not sink holes."

"No, no, Star. I'm talking about sinkholes. It's when…" Marco grunted as he dug the sand away from Star's legs, "...the ground caves in…" Marco took a breath from throwing sand in the shovel to the side of him. "...due to water erosion."

"Marco, you know as well as I do that the only ground in space is the planets in it." Star told him.

"But...that's what I'm saying." Marco said.

"What are you saying?" Star asked. Marco looked at Star and chuckled. Jackie was right. He was blind to the truth all those months ago. He was thankful that Jackie pretty much helped him in terms of getting closer to his best friend/girlfriend. Star noticed he was deep in thought. "Marco, you okay?" Star asked. Marco suddenly brought himself back down to Earthni at the sound of her voice

"Huh? Oh...nevermind. Let's just pack up our stuff and go find Tom and Janna." Marco said.

"Right!" Star replied as she walked back to Jackie and Chloe, who was helping out with packing their belongings. Marco watched her run towards her two other friends, thinking about how grateful he felt to be with Star at this very second.

"Thanks, Jackie." Marco said quietly to himself before walking back himself.

* * *

After everything was packed up and ready to go, they made their way back to the car.

"Hey, wait. If Tom and Janna come back and we're not there, then won't they start to panic?" Jackie asked.

"They've been gone for way longer than normal. I think it's best that we look for them. Besides, they might appreciate that we're worried about them to begin with." Star explained.

"Wha? But...if they're not here, where are they?" Marco wondered.

"Hmm...well on the plus side, it means they haven't gone far right?" Jackie asked.

"I say we check nearby in town and then go from there." Star said. "They wouldn't just you know...bail on us on Beach Day 2.0."

"Beach Day 2.0?" Chloe asked.

"Oh, we had a beach day not too long ago before Earth and Mewni morphed together." Marco asked as he opened the trunk and began carefully putting the beach gear back in it.

"Wait, is that why everything changed?!" Jackie asked. "I _knew_ you two had something to do with that! I told you Chloe. These guys can do the impossible." Jackie told Chloe in excitement. She then held out her hand. Chloe took a $20 bill out of her pocket.

"You guys bet on this?!" Marco asked.

"Chloe thought it was aliens. I thought it was you two. There was only one way to settle it." Jackie shrugged. "So, how'd you both pull this off in the first place?" She asked them. Star and Marco looked at each other and then back at Jackie.

"We don't know exactly." Star replied.

"Wait, you don't know what happened at all?" Jackie asked again. The group started walking through the parking lot and on their way to town.

"All we know is that a portal appeared in the sky...apparently because of us and then it exploded and...well…" Marco started to explain as he closed the trunk.

"...poof." Star sounded.

"Huh." Chloe spoke.

"Well, what's done is done. I'm sure there was a good reason for what you did, whatever that reason is." Jackie said to them.

"Let's just say it's a long story." Star told her.

* * *

About 30 minutes went by. Star, Marco, Jackie, and Chloe continued looking for Tom and Janna all over town. They were nowhere to be seen though. Star wondered where in this whole new world they could have possibly gone to. She did want to leave them alone and give them some quality bonding time with one another, but not anything like this. She didn't like all the anxiety going through her head. She always liked knowing where everyone is so she could be sure they were safe.

"Well, you definitely made it so Tom and Janna could have some alone time. That's for sure." Marco spoke.

"Hey, look. I didn't mean for it to go this far." Star said. "Seriously, where are they?" Star wondered. "Brain! Work!" Star said as she took her hands and squeezed her head. Marco took his arm and placed it around her shoulders to calm her down.

"Star, we'll find them. Let's just think about this logically. Like, where are some of Tom's and Janna's favorite places to hang out?" Marco asked the group.

"Hmm...well if it were Janna it would be-" Star started.

"...somewhere eerie and frightening?" Jackie asked. Marco sighed.

"Mayyybbee." Star agreed.

"Poor, poor Tom." Marco said.

"Oh come on, Marco. You don't think the Underworld is all...you know…'eerie and frightening' as you call it? Tom might have the same interests. In fact he does. He's a demon. That's like...dark." Star asked.

"...if someone enjoys 'Janna level' creepy, then more power to them." Marco responded, getting chills as he thought about it.

"Anyway, think people. We need ideas." Star said, refocusing.

"Dark alley?" Chloe spoke.

"Ooo! Yeah, yeah, that's good. Let's go!" Star proclaimed as she walked away from them. She then came right back. "Uhhh...I don't know where any are." Star realized.

"Leave it to me and Marco, Star. You got some Echo Creekians on your side." Jackie told her as she and Marco led the way.

* * *

They first came up to a darkened alleyway. There was no Janna or Tom in sight.

"Nope." Marco spoke. A few rats suddenly began to crawl on his feet. He jumped, shaking them off of him.

"AH! THOSE CARRY DISEASES!" Marco screamed in panic.

* * *

The four of them made their way to an abandoned scientific facility, only to find that neither Tom or Janna there. However, there were a few nauseating objects lying around.

"Look! Marco! Eyeballs in a jar!" Star told Marco, holding the jar in her hands.

"Star! Keep that grossness away from me!" Marco exclaimed, backing up and making an X with his two fingers before he slipped, falling on the ground. "AH WHY IS THIS GREEN?!" He shouted.

* * *

A while later, they found themselves looking around a cave. It must have come from Mewni.

"Why are we in a cave exactly?" Star asked.

"I've heard that ghosts and spirits can roam in caves and caverns so...I don't know. It's worth a shot." Jackie said. Suddenly, a loud roaring sound came from deeper in the cave. It made everyone wide-eyed, giving everyone the chills and shivers.

"I'M OUT!" Marco said, screaming as he ran out of the cave, taking Star's hand as she ran with him.

* * *

"WAIT!" Star exclaimed as she halted. Everyone stopped in their tracks, turning around to face Star.

"Star?" Marco called out.

"Youuuu okay?" Jackie asked. Star looked determined.

"I think I know where they are." Star told them confidently.

* * *

"Behold! The Echo Creek Cemetery!" Star proclaimed as she reached out her hands, presenting the cemetery to the group. They stood at the gated entrance to it, being collided by a swarm of bats.

"Ugh...it's just as bad as the science facility." Marco mentioned. "And of course, we get here at night."

"You really think they're here, Star?" Jackie asked.

"After the whole 'Bon-bon the Birthday Clown' fiasco, I know for a fact Janna could never resist coming back here. Trust me. This is the place." Star said as she walked into the cemetery. Jackie and Chloe followed her as Marco hesitated to take any step further.

"So we're-...we're just going in then?!" Marco asked anxiously.

"Come on, Marco! Stop being a wimp!" Star told him.

"I'm not being a wimp!" Marco replied.

"Jackie...back me up here, please." Star whispered to her.

"She's riiiight!" Jackie exclaimed. Marco growled at the sound of hearing he wasn't brave at that very moment. He took a deep breath.

"Pull it together, Diaz. You've been here before…only the last time you were here there was Ludo and...and the...the clown." Marco told himself. He suddenly heard a loud noise, almost resembling a ghost. Marco froze, beginning to sweat. He continued to walk deeper into the cemetery. "You're a knight of Mewni...or Earthni...or...you know, it doesn't matter. You are still a knight! You shouldn't be afraid of a-" The noise got even louder. Suddenly, an acorn from a nearby tree hit his shoulder. He jumped and shouted.

"GHOST!" Marco exclaimed, running to Star and grabbing onto her in fear. They all stopped and turned, seeing a squirrel in the tree where the acorn fell. Star glanced at Marco with a raised eyebrow and grin.

"If you think that's a ghost, I worry for you, boo. We might need to hide the laser puppies away. They might be zombies." Star told him as she wiggled her fingers in his face. Chloe and Jackie giggled at Star's comment.

"Hilarious, really." Marco sarcastically said to her as he let go of his girlfriend. Marco asked. Jackie interrupted them.

"Guys! There's a light up ahead!" Jackie spoke. Star and Marco turned their heads, seeing a dim bright shining coming from up ahead. They began to follow it, but at a distance, just in case it wasn't actually Tom and Janna. Star looked around at the cemetery as memories started flooding into her head. Marco could see a frown start to appear on her face. He came to Jackie and Chloe really quick.

"Hey, you guys go on ahead. I'm going to talk to Star for a second." He said to them. Jackie and Chloe nodded as they walked on ahead. Marco came next to Star.

"You uh...you okay?" Marco asked her. Star let out a sigh.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just have a ton of really bad memories coming back to me that I _thought_ I forgot about but...they're back." Star explained.

"Riiight. I forgot about Ludo and the clown until we got here." Marco said. Star stopped in her path.

"...that's not all that happened." Star told him. Marco halted as well.

"Wait, what?" Marco wondered. Star held her breath for a second, hesitant to tell him what else happened that night. She had to tell him though. It wasn't right to keep a secret from him.

"Okay, so...you know how...you were on that date with Jackie? Well…" Star bit her lip. "...I might have used the all-seeing eye on the two of you and...and I might have gotten upset and blew out the wheel on Jackie's skateboard unintentionally." Star told him.

"Woah, woah, wait. That was you?!" Marco asked, pointing at her.

"I didn't mean it, Marco! I was just feeling...upset and...and jealous and...I didn't know what to do or how to handle it all." Star anxiously explained. "And...I couldn't keep it a secret from you because, well...we're together now. It's not right to keep secrets from someone you love, you know? And-..." She looked at Marco, who she thought looked upset with her. She looked down at the ground, feeling absolutely awful about the whole thing. "I'm really sorry, Marco." Star told him. Marco suddenly grabbed her in a hug. Star gasped.

"I'm glad you told me." Marco said. He pulled back while still having his arms wrapped around her waist. "And hey, it's okay. I'm glad you told me about it."

"Wait...you are?" Star asked.

"I mean, yeah! Look, I had my moments of jealousy when you were with Tom. We can't stop how we feel about things." Marco told her. He looked to his side. "You know, Eclipsa told me something a while back."

"Eclipsa? Wait, what did she say?" Star asked.

"She said that...feelings are worth feeling...even if they hurt. When I had a crush on you even back before the whole 'Blood Moon Curse' thing, I was starting to have doubts and there were days where...well, I would go to Eclipsa to help me out. She told me that one day and honestly, it helped me realize that it was okay to feel jealous." Marco explained. "And trust me when I say it hurt to see you with Tom so...I get why you did what you did." Star smiled from hearing Marco's words. She gave him a quick kiss before grabbing him in a hug.

"Thanks...for understanding." Star told him. Marco embraced her even tighter.

"Hey, it's what I'm here for." Marco replied as he nuzzled his nose into her shoulder, smelling her scent. Star let out a light sigh, feeling his warmth. They let go after a minute.

"I think uh...I think we should get back to Jackie and Chloe." Star told him.

"Yeah...right." Marco said, smiling at Star who did the same to him. They turned their bodies forward, seeing that Jackie and Chloe were stopped in front of the light that has seemed to have stopped moving.

"Now's our chance!" Star spoke. They all crouched behind a bush right near the light source, hiding from whoever was there. "Okay, so, we have to be careful. If it isn't Tom and Janna, we don't want to scare whoever's there. Got it?" Star asked them. They all nodded before they started peeking through the leaves and branches of the bush. Their eyes went wide.

Tom and Janna were sharing a kiss near the tombstone of Bon-Bon the Birthday Clown.

"FINALLY!" Star exclaimed loudly, jumping right out of the bush. Tom and Janna parted quickly, seeing eyes peeking out of the bush. They jumped in fear.

"AH!" They both shouted. Tom lit on fire out of fear, setting fire to Bon-Bon's tombstone. Marco stood up.

"Way to be careful, Star!" Marco said, facepalming.


	19. Bon-Bon: Back From The Dead

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 19- Bon-Bon: Back from the Dead**

"SERIOUSLY?!" Tom asked. "HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD OF PRIVACY?!" His deep, dark demon voice started to emerge as Star and Marco watched Tom lose control of his anger.

"See? See Star!? _This_ is what happens when you meddle!" Marco exclaimed.

"Hey! You were just as much of a part of this as me, Mr. 'Romantic Atmosphere'." Star replied. Marco gasped.

"Woah! Hey! You're the one to talk, Ms. 'Oh! Sparks are gonna fly!' You said that at the monster temple, remember? I didn't forget!" Marco said back to her.

"Hey-...bu-...you-...it worked though, didn't it!?" Star added, pointing at Tom and Janna.

"DON'T IGNORE ME!" Tom shouted as Star and Marco argued, paying no attention to what was around them.

"Dude, relax. It's not a big deal." Janna told him, patting his shoulder.

"HOW ARE YOU SO CALM RIGHT NOW?!" Tom shouted.

"Look. Just remember your mantra." Janna told him. The fire surrounding Tom's body went down.

"THAT WON'T-...wait...I don't have a mantra." Tom told her as he scratched the top of his head. His demonic voice started returning to normal.

"Well then, here. Listen to mine." Janna crossed her legs and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!" Janna said in a calm manner. Tom blankly stared at her before backing away as his flame went out.

"Okay, look. One; we're in a cemetery...sooooo...not helping. Two; I'm a demon and you're even creeping _me_ out right now." Tom told her.

"But hey, you're calmer now, right?" Janna said as she pointed to Tom's flameless head. Tom looked up at his forehead and then all over him, noticing the fires coming from his body are out. He stared blankly into space.

"How...how do you do that…" Tom wondered, a little terrified. Jackie and Chloe stood up to get everyone's attention.

"Hey, guys? I think we should worry about the tombstone that's lit on fire right now...you know, _that_ tombstone right there?" Jackie pointed out. Everyone turned, seeing the horror that was Bon-Bon the Birthday Clown's tombstone...except it was engulfed in flames.

"Ahhh! Fire! Fire! Fire is bad!" Marco exclaimed.

"Well that's not all that's bad, I'm afraid." Janna spoke. Star came out from the bush and walked towards Janna and Tom.

"Wait what? Did you say something's bad? What's bad?! TELL ME NOW, JANNA! FILL ME WITH YOUR GHOULISH WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE PLEASE!" Star said as she grabbed Janna's shirt in a panic. Janna gave her a serious look.

"I need my bag." Janna said. Star let go of her while Marco grabbed her bag and threw it to her. Janna took out an old, worn-out book titled _The Mysteries and Lore of the Undead: Volume 6_. She opened it up, looking through the pages until she stopped, reaching a chapter titled _Angering Spirits: Do's and Dont's_. The wind suddenly started to pick up. A groaning noise was suddenly heard.

"Uhhhh Janna? I don't know if you realized but I _really_ don't want to be haunted by a ghost for the rest of my life. In other words, HURRY UP!" Marco shouted, in a frenzy.

"Oh, please. You won't be haunted. You'll most likely be cursed or something." Janna told him, sounding as if this was _completely_ normal. Marco suddenly made an expressionless face.

"Seriously...I just got over a Blood Moon Curse." Marco said, annoyed that he keeps getting cursed everywhere he goes. "Also, HOW ARE YOU SO CALM?!"

"Marco! You're distracting her!" Star said. "Janna, what does the book say?"

"Okay. It says here that...whoever sets aflame to the tombstone of a spirit or ghost...shall be cursed depending on the soul of the spirit who unleashes it." Janna read aloud. The noises around them became louder. They covered their ears slightly.

"Wait, wait then...how do we stop it?!" Tom loudly asked.

"I don't know!" Janna exclaimed.

"Wait...you don't know how to stop this?!" Jackie shouted, worrying even more.

"Janna! You're like, the living embodiment of dark and mysterious! How do you not know this!?" Star wondered.

"It's not my fault! The book is super old! The pages got ripped out somehow!" Janna told them.

"Well, of course, the pages have been ripped out!" Marco shouted sarcastically as his arms flailed about. Suddenly, a bright light came from the tombstone. Everyone squinted their eyes to avoid blindness. Once the light faded, they opened their eyes, gasping at what was seen in front of them.

"Yippee! I'm back again!" In front of them was the spirit of Bon-Bon the Birthday Clown, floating in mid-air as he glowed an eerie blue-ish white. His eyes were empty and void and the mere sight of him sent chills down everyone's spine, except for Janna who found ghosts coo for some unknown reason.

"Wait, didn't you get sucked into a black hole?" Janna asked, pointing at him.

"The body can leave the grave but not the spirit, little girl!" Bon-Bon chuckled, putting his hand to his mouth. Janna had fire in her eyes from that comment.

"Dude, if you call me a little girl one more time, I swear I'll-" Janna started before Tom took his hand and covered her mouth. Bon-Bon sniffed with his nose, smelling a hint of burning. He turned around, seeing the flames coming from his tombstone. "Oh no! Who could have done this to my tombstone? That's not very nice." He said before turning back front, seeing Star, Marco, and the gang standing there as stiff as stone.

"Hey now...do we need to have a talk with Bon-Bon?" Bon-bon said. He looked around at everyone, continuing to stand like they were frozen ice sculptures. They could have been with how chilly the environment was at that moment.. They didn't know how to respond to him. They couldn't say that they set the tombstone on fire. No one in their right mind wanted to be cursed for the rest of their lives. They decided the best course of action was to stay silent. "Well, if no one tells me who did it then I have no choi-"

"WE DID IT WE'RE SORRY!" Marco cried out impulsively.

"Marco!" Star shouted. Marco started to sweat, realizing he made a huge mistake. He covered his mouth before moving his eyes to Star. While keeping his head still, he noticed the look of sheer annoyance and disappointment on Star's face. "What the heck was that?!" Star whispered loudly. Marco lifted his hand off his mouth.

"I'm apologizing, Star. It's the polite thing to do!" Marco said, thinking out of fear as he stood completely still.

"Dude, you can't apologize to a ghost. They have no sympathy for the living." Janna told him.

"Yeah like...you really thought that would work?" Tom asked him.

"Well, I-...I mean-...SO! How was I supposed to know that!" Marco loudly hissed.

"Hey now, you all need to learn how to be kind to one another. Hmmm…" Bon-Bon spoke. Everyone went silent again out of sheer fright. Bon-Bon thought to himself before letting out a small gasp. "Why don't we play a game!" He said, disturbingly cheerful.

"Guys? What does he mean by 'game'?" Jackie asked, terrified. Before anyone could answer, Bon-Bon took his red nose a honked it. Before everyone could say the word boo, they all started getting drowsy.

"Guys...I feel...kind of light-he-..." Star mumbled before she dropped to the floor followed by the rest of the group.

….then everything went black.

* * *

"Huh!? Wha-..." Marco shot up, exclaiming. He looked around, seeing that he was at his house, laying in his blow-up bed. Confusion started to fill his mind.

"Was I just-...?" Marco asked himself as he pointed to his bed.. He then shrugged his shoulders. "Huh." He softly hummed, thinking that it could have been all a dream. Marco took his arms and stretched them out before standing up to go to the bathroom. He halted when he suddenly noticed Star sitting on his bed. Her back was turned to him.

"Oh, hey Star!" Marco spoke. He could have sworn that dream was real. He didn't know why he was so excited to see Star just now though. Marco just felt a sense of joy seeing her there. Why wouldn't he though? It was her girlfriend/best friend after all. However, Star didn't respond. Marco raised an eyebrow, worried that she wasn't alright. "Star? You okay?" He asked her. Star didn't move. She continued to sit in the same position.

"Marco...we need to talk." Star asked in a saddened voice. Marco stared blankly at her. Why did she want to talk exactly? It was the middle of the night!

"Uh...okay." Marco replied as he started walking over to her. Star held her hand up and turned her head slightly.

"No. Stay there." She told him. Now she started sounding irritated. Marco stopped, holding his breath.

"What's...going on?" Marco asked. He was getting extremely concerned now. There was a long pause as Star turned her body to face him. A look of anger lied on her face. Marco wondered what in the world was going on. Star was almost giving him the death glare at this point.

"You...are such a liar..." Star hissed. Marco gasped.

"Star? W-what are you talking about?" Marco stuttered. Why would Star call him a liar? He has never lied to her...at least from what he could recall.

"Oh, you know what!" Star exclaimed in frustration as she stood up, coming towards him. Marco started shaking. "You've said for weeks that 'Oh, I love you.' and 'You are everything to me' and all that."

"Well, yeah. I mean, Star? I do love-" Marco began to say until Star silenced him once more.

"Shut it, Marco!" Star yelled as she stomped her foot on the wooden floor. Marco began to hyperventilate. Seeing Star furious with him made his stomach turn and his body feel cold and hot at the same time. "You've never treated me like I'm special to you! You say all these heartfelt things to me but do you show it!? No! You never have!" Star shouted. She started to cry. "You think you're being the perfect boyfriend...but..." Star started with a shaky voice.

"You're just not good enough to be...my boyfriend." Star told him.

Marco could feel his heart break.

...is Star breaking up with him right now?

* * *

"Ah!" Star yelled, sitting straight up. She found herself on Earthni. However, this wasn't the Earthni she knew and loved. The sky was dark and colorless. There wasn't a single star up above. Everything around her was on fire. The streets were empty, covered in broken glass, metal, and other types of debris. The buildings had broken windows. Some of them were destroyed. It's almost as if a battle had just taken place...and this was the damage that was done.

"Huh?" Star wondered. "How did this-...when did-..." She asked herself. She stood up, glancing at the crumbling world surrounding her. "Where is everyone?" Star began to walk around, looking for any sign of life.

"Hello!" Star called out. There was no one around. No human, mewman, or monster in sight. She started to run. "Anybody?!" She cried out once more.

"Well, just the girl I've been looking for." A voice spoke from behind her. Star turned around, gasping at the person standing near her. Her eyes bulged out at the sight.

"No...you...you can't be standing there." Star stuttered.

* * *

Janna awoke with a loud gasp. She examined her surroundings, seeing that she was in a clothing store. "Riiiiiight...how did I get here?" Janna asked herself. Like, why would she be in a clothing store out of all places in the world? Janna got up on her feet before checking out everything around her, wondering what the heck is happening. Janna didn't even remember walking to a clothing store. Nothing was making any sense right now. Janna then stopped, noticing what was hanging on every rack and laying on every shelf.

"No...no no no no no no…" Janna kept repeating to herself. There were dresses. Dresses everywhere with ribbons and bows and lace. Dresses that were covered in glitter and bedazzled in the gaudiest accessories she had ever seen.

"Ah!" Janne exclaimed. She then looked down at herself, seeing she was wearing a blue lace dress, a pair of sparkling blue high-heels, and a headband on top of her head.

"AH!" She yelled. She then went to a mirror close by to look at herself, seeing she was wearing bright, overly flamboyant makeup.

"AHHHHHHH NO! THIS IS JUST WRONG!" Janna screamed in terror.

* * *

Tom sat up immediately, waking up to an empty street in Echo Creek at dark, standing under a tall streetlamp. He looked up, seeing the brightness of the light coming from it.

"Wait...what the-..." Tom wondered as he squinted from the light. He wondered how he even got here. Wasn't he just at the cemetery? Trying to figure this all out, he suddenly heard voices nearby.

"Poor, poor Tom..." A male voice said. Tom gasped.

"Who was that?" Tom asked, frantically looking around.

"Thinking that he can become better as a person..." A female spoke.

"What's going on?!" Tom asked himself, a bit freaked. After uncontrollably shifting his body all around, he turned to his left, seeing Star and Marco standing in the darkness.

"You haven't improved in any sense of the word, Tom." Marco said in a low tone.

"You say you try to change…" Star started.

"...but you've become an even worse version of yourself." They both said.

"Wait...but...no! I've changed! I swear I have!" Tom defended himself.

"You've become even more selfish." Marco finished.

"...more conceited..." Star added. Tom blinked. When he opened his eyes, Star and Marco were standing right in front of him.

"...and unleash even more rage than ever before." Star and Marco said to him. Tom started to freak out.

"But...no…no! I've learned to control it! I've learned to be kind...and-...and considerate." Tom said.

"You're still the same." Star said. Tom dropped to his knees and covered his head, trying to avoid their hurtful words.

"You haven't changed…" Star spoke.

"You'll never change…" Marco said.

"No...no!" Tom exclaimed, wanting to full-on cry a river.

"You're still the same Tom." Star and Marco said together. "Still the same...still the same...still the same…" They repeated over...and over...and over…

"STOP IT! PLEASE!" Tom said, beginning to hurt inside as fire began to surround his body.

* * *

Jackie woke up to her room at the Lynn-Thomas residence, laying on her bean bag chair. She looked around, pondering as to how she even got to where she was right now.

"Okay...what just happened?" Jackie asked herself. "What happened to the...clown..ghost...thing?" She wondered. She stood up and walked over to her door, grabbing the handle. She tried pulling it open, but it wouldn't budge.

"Oh, come on, you stupid door!" Jackie said in frustration, pulling it as hard as she possibly could. Suddenly, jail bars appeared on her door in a split second. "What the...?!" Jackie exclaimed. She hurried her way to the windows. Jail bars appeared on them as well. "Ah!" She yelled. Suddenly, the walls became covered in what looked like a motherboard to a computer. She suddenly heard a very familiar voice.

"It's time to play Truth Or Punishment!" The voice proclaimed. Suddenly, the walls started to cave in on her.

"No...no!" Jackie exclaimed. She ran over to one of the walls, pushing it to make it stop. Her attempt to halt the wall wasn't working in the slightest though. She suddenly stopped pushing it, turning around. Right behind her appeared the Box of Truth in the form of a gruesome monster.

"LET'S PLAY!" The Box of Truth exclaimed.

"AHHH!" Jackie screamed, cowering in fright.

* * *

"Star...please, you're everything to me. You always have. Let me…" Marco hesitated. His voice became jittery. "Let me prove it to you...please." Marco couldn't feel his legs anymore. He dropped to the ground in front of Star feet, grabbing onto her green dress. He really didn't want to lose her. Star changed his life. Star _was_ and _is_ his whole life. He couldn't bear to lose her. He would have a broken heart for the rest of his life.

"No…" Star told him.

"We're done, Marco."

Marco's vision started to become blurry. That hot and cold sensation rushed through his blood once again. His nerves started to get the best of him. He felt so nauseous out of anxiety and dread. Star stood above him as he sat on the floor. From Marco's point of view, she was extremely tall, hovering over him like a skyscraper. Marco began to sob extremely hard. He had never wanted this to happen. Star was and always has been everything to him. He couldn't figure out how Star's feeling turned to this. It made no sense. He felt as if his deepest darkest fear had come to life. That's when Marco wondered…

"My deepest...darkest...fear?" Marco thought to himself. Was that it? Was this even real? No. It couldn't have been. Star would never act like this in a million years. This was his fear taking control.

It was time for Marco to take charge.

Marco began to think clearly. After all they've been through and everything he's said to her...and everything she's said to him...this was all an illusion.

Marco lifted his head.

"No...you're the liar." Marco said.

"Wha-...Marco! How dare you!" Star said to him.

"No...oh no no no. How dare _you_!" Marco told her as he stood up. "Star would _never_ say that I don't care about her. She would _never_ say that I don't think she's special to me. Because guess what?" Marco started coming closer to Star. She began to back away from him.

"I love Star more than you will ever begin to realize. My family knows that, my friends know that, and Most importantly, Star knows that!" Marco exclaimed. Star started to panic. "You think you have me fooled but you don't. Let me tell you something. I go above and beyond for Star because she is my entire world. She is the most important person in my life." Marco continued. He could feel his strength returning and his confidence overpower his anxiety. "Oh, and guess what? Star feels the exact same way about me. We are a team. We defy the odds and make the impossible happen. You know what else?" Marco continued. Star hit the wall behind her.

"I know that all this is not real. Nice try, Bon-Bon, but you can't fool these eyes!" Marco said, pointing at Star. Star suddenly morphed into Bon-Bon, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Ah!" Marco exclaimed, not expecting to see a version of Star turn into a creepy dead clown. A white light started to shine from Bon-Bon, making Marco shield his eyes with his arm.

...then he woke up.

* * *

Marco shot up with a loud gasp. "Wha-...I'm...I'm back?" He asked himself. Marco examined the atmosphere. He was back at the cemetery. The wind was still blowing while he heard voices and howls in the air. Marco looked to his left and right, seeing that all of his friends were asleep. Bon-Bon floated above them, noticing that Marco was awake.

"Awww! You're good at this game!" Bon-Bon said. "How about we play again!" He said before he honked his red nose. However, it didn't make Marco fall to sleep again.

"Nice try, Bon-Bon, but I've conquered my fear. There's no way I'm going back to sleep now!" Marco proclaimed. Bon-Bon became frustrated, honking his nose over and over. The noise was driving Marco insane.

"Man, could you please stop? That sound's so irritating." Marco said to Bon-Bon, who didn't even hear anything Marco said. Marco started to look around for something to stop the ghost and the curse unleashed on everyone; that is until he suddenly heard crying from someone familiar. He turned to the right, seeing Star laying on the ground, crying in her frightful sleep. Marco ran to her, dropping to his knees.

"Star? Star!" Marco called out. He started freaking out. "Uh...uhh I don't know-...man, what am I supposed to do?!" Marco asked himself. Star started mumbling in her sleep.

"No...no you can't be." Star spoke in tears. Marco assumed that whatever her biggest fear was had traumatized her at the moment. Marco took her hands in his, stroking them to attempt to calm her down.

"Star? It's me. I'm here." Marco told her. He looked at her for a moment, feeling his heart harden as she lied there, horrified, not being able to wake her up. He wanted to make this stop. But how? Marco wondered if there was any way he could encourage her to fight her fear. He looked at her face, covered in a saddened expression. "Star, listen. What you're seeing isn't real. You have to fight it!" Marco told her. Nothing changed. Star was still crying. He had no idea what to do now. All he could think of is taking her in his arms and holding her close to relax her. He rested his forehead on hers, trying to help her relax.

"Please wake up, Star." Marco said, feeling a wave of sadness. He closed his eyes, trying to be strong in the face of adversity. All of a sudden...

Star's cheeks started gleaming…

...then Marco's moon cheeks returned, shining on his face as well...

Neither of them knew it, but both their cheekmarks were aglow. Before he knew it, Marco found himself waking up to an apocalyptic Earthni.

"How did-...wait." Marco said as he stood up, wondering why he wasn't at the cemetery again. "Aw, come on! Another one?! I thought I didn't have any more fears!" Marco said in frustration. He abruptly heard a noise behind him, preceding to instantly turn around. He saw Star standing there with tears streaming down her face. "Wait a minute...this is Star's deepest fear! Star!" Marco figured out, running to her rescue. Star turned her head, looking like a deer in headlights. Once Marco got close enough, she pushed him away.

"Get back!" Star yelled in terror. Marco fell to the ground, getting covered in scrapes and bruises. He winced from the pain.

"Ow! What the-..." Marco wondered. Why did Star push him back? He could only wonder. Something weird is happening right now.

"Star? What's going on?" Marco asked.

"I'm not listening to you. You're not real." Star said softly as she cried. Marco got back up on his feet. What did she mean by not real? Did she figure out she was stuck in a nightmare?

"But I am! What makes you think I'm not real?" Marco asked her.

"Because...you're right there." Star told him, pointing in front of her.

Unfortunately, Star was right. There stood Marco, but not the Marco she knew and loved. This Marco was different. His irises were blood red while his skin was covered in a blotchy mix of bruise-colored purple and his own skin-tone. He bore a look of mischief on his face, smiling as if he just succeeded in an evil master plan. From what both Star and Marco could gather from around them, it seems as if he did.

"Well...hello...me. Welcome to the party." Evil Marco spoke, spreading his arms out as if he was presenting his masterpiece; a city taken over by a malevolent mastermind. Marco didn't know how to respond to this; seeing an evil version of himself. It was frankly quite horrifying, to say the least. Who knew how Star felt about this. "See, Star? Evil can, in fact, conquer the good. Everyone you know and love is gone. Your home has been destroyed and made to shambles. Then, there's the cherry on top…" Evil Marco continued.

"I'm the one who made it all happen." Evil Marco added.

Star dropped to the floor in despair, almost as if she has given up entirely.

"Poor, sad, lonely Star Butterfly. You've run out of options. You have no plans, no backup, no one to be by your side in this time of utter need;...you have no hope." Evil Marco told her. Marco watched as the evil version of him crushed her dignity and spirit into the ground. Star immediately dropped on her knees. Marco suddenly realized what truly scared her more than anything.

"That's it. That's her deepest fear. It's giving up...and...losing everyone she loves...and me being the cause of it." Marco said to himself. If only she could understand that this was, in fact, a deepest fear and nowhere near real. The only thing he could think of doing was to convince her of that.

"Star? Listen to me." Marco told her.

"I said I'm not listening to you." Star responded in complete hopelessness. Marco felt beyond determined to change her mind.

"...but you have to. This isn't real. None of it is." Marco told her. Star shook her head, rejecting everything he was saying.

"Why should I believe you...when you're standing right there?" Star replied as her voice cracked, pointing to the evil version of Marco.

"Because that person standing there is _not_ Marco. I'm the real Marco." Marco said to her. Star felt the tears getting stronger. There was a long pause in between their words.

"...I don't believe you." Star said. Marco's plan to encourage her wasn't working at all. It wasn't just Star who was running out of options. _He_ was running out of options of how to change her perception. He took a big sigh, trying to think of something. Marco began to walk closer to her.

"Remember the day you were feeling like you weren't good enough to be with me? I sang a song to you. Remember that?" Marco asked her.

"...maybe..." Star replied. Marco only hoped this would change her outlook at this very moment.

"Well, do you remember what I said to you that night?" Marco asked, trying to get her to focus on this instead of her feeling of despair.

"You tell me. You say you're the real Marco. I want proof. Right here...right now." Star said to him as her head dropped down. Marco came up in front of her and took her hands in his.

"I said that...I love you more than you can imagine." Marco told her. After experiencing his fear of Star breaking up with him, this very moment made him a little bit emotional. "I said that I love your smile...your heart...and every single thing about you." Marco said. Star lifted her head to look at Marco. "One thing's for sure. I would NEVER do anything like this to you." Marco said. They both turned their heads to Evil Marco. "This world, him...all of it; it's your deepest fears trying to get the best of you. You need to fight it, Star." Marco told her as he turned his head back to face her. Star looked into Marco's eyes, taking in his chocolate-brown pupils.

"Trust me." Marco told her. Star could see the same smile she's always known just by looking at his expression. Everything he was doing was giving her a sense of hope and ambition. She grew a look of determination on her face. The crying began to stop. Star stood up, glancing at the evil version of Marco in front of her.

"So...Marco...what was the name of that song you wrote for me again?" Star asked him. Evil Marco raised an eyebrow.

"I don't even know what you're talking about. What song?" Evil Marco responded.

"You should know. You _are_ Marco after all, aren't you?" Star asked confidently. Evil Marco stood there, pondering. Star could tell he was being duped. "You don't know, do you?" Star added.

"Hey! I do! Just give me a minute to think!" Evil Marco exclaimed.

" _My_ Marco wouldn't need a minute to think!" Star spoke loudly. Star got him. He's been exposed.

"That's right! It's Starshine by the way. Thanks." Marco said.

"See?" Star spoke with a grin.

" _And you'll always be mine..._ " Marco started to sing.

"Okay, we got it. Thanks, boo." Star said, bringing her attention back to evil Marco. "You are _NOT_ the real Marco." Star proclaimed, walking closer to evil Marco, fighting back as hard as she could. "The real Marco wouldn't hurt people, _especially_ the ones that he loves. Furthermore, he would _never...ever..._ bring me down like this. He is the person who wouldn't want me to give up. He loves me too much to ever do that to me." Star told the evil version of Marco. Marco came to her side.

"My Marco is right here...by my side...like he has and always will be." Star said, taking Marco's hand. "So sorry, Bon-Bon. You lost!" Star shouted. Evil Marco winced, transforming into Bon-Bon. Bon-Bon shrieked before a bright shining light flashed in front of Star and Marco, making them grab onto each other and cover their eyes.

...then they woke up.

* * *

Star and Marco woke up with a loud gasp, wondering if they've beaten Bon-Bon in his own game. They noticed that they were back at the cemetery. The wind was still lightly blasting and ghostly howls still filled the air. Star and Marco looked at each other before embracing one another, feeling a great sense of relief.

"Marco! Are you okay?" Star breathed as she dug her face into his neck.

"I'm okay! Are you okay? Because I'd feel better if you were okay than me being okay because, you know, if you're not okay then I won't be okay and-..." Marco rambled as he grabbed her tighter.

"Yeah, I'm okay! I'm fine." Star replied. Bon-Bon floated in front of them, looking irritated.

"You kids are very good at this! How about we go for round two!" Bon-Bon chuckled. Star and Marco let go of one another as he struggled to put them back to sleep, squishing his red nose over and over. Marco shook his head in disappointment.

"Marco...what's he doing?" Star asked.

"...trying to put us back to sleep and haunt us with another deep fear." Marco said. Star raised an eyebrow.

"He's uh...really struggling there." Star said.

"Bon-Bon is just having...a bit of trouble…" Bon-Bon told them, grunting.

"Obviously…okay, I have to say this. The honking is annoying me." Star said. "Marco make it stooooop." Star groaned, dropping her head down.

"I should've brought those earplugs from my beach gear along with me." Marco said, regretful.

"Wait, now why did you bring earplugs to the beach?" Star asked, curious.

"I don't know. I guess if I wanted to sunbathe and take a little nap." Marco said.

"Marco...that's like...the only thing you brought along that actually had a purpose." Star told him. Marco gave Star a straight face. "Anyway, we need to focus. We have to stop this curse while Bon-Bon is distracted. There's gotta be a way! Maybe a seance or...I don't know!"

"I wish I knew. Janna wouldn't know either. The pages are missing that have the information on how to break curses like this." Marco told her.

"Right...wait!" Star spoke, fabricating an idea with the snap of her fingers. She pointed at

the fire. "We need water! It's so simple!" Star exclaimed.

"What? Why would-..." Marco started before Star took his head and turned it, showing Marco the firelit tombstone. "Ooooooohhhhhhhh. Where are we going to find water though? We're in a cemetery!" Marco asked.

"If only we had containers of...I don't know, water from the beach or something." Star said.

"Star? That would be pointless." Marco told her.

"...says the boy with the shovels, hardhats and traffic cones in the trunk of his car." Star reminded him. Marco glared at Star. He had confidence that she would understand his motives one day. "Seriously though, focus! Where can we find water?!" Star wondered. Suddenly, a tiny wave of water was thrown from the trees, splashing onto the tombstone, putting the fire out. Star and Marco could only wonder where in the world that random bit of water came from.

"Uh…there?" Marco responded, unsure as he pointed to the wet tombstone. Bon-Bon stopped honking his nose and turned around to see that the fire is out.

"Oh...you two put the fire out..." Bon-Bon said.

"Well, actually, we didn't-" Marco started to say before Star covered his mouth. There was a long pause before Bon-Bon spoke again. "That's wonderful!" Bon-Bon exclaimed before chuckling in a way that creeped Star and Marco out tremendously. "Well, now that you fixed it, I guess the game is over...for now! So looooooong!" Bon-Bon said before honking his nose one more time and disappearing into thin air. Star and Marco stood there, dumbfounded.

"...that's it?" Marco exclaimed.

"What's it?" Star spoke.

"We went through all this trouble...to find out that all that had to be done was put the fire out?!" Marco ranted. Suddenly the rest of the crew began to come out of their nightmare. Janna woke up yelling, startling Star and Marco a bit. She looked around, noticing that the ghost was gone and the fire was out. "Oh...you guys figured it out. Nice." Janna said to them.

"Is that seriously how fast you recover from your deepest fear?" Marco wondered.

"I'M A CHANGED MAN!" Tom yelled out of nowhere. Star, Marco, and Janna blankly stared at him, wondering what his fear was...and if they even wanted to know. Jackie and Chloe came out of their nightmare a few seconds later, breathing heavily. They looked at each other with blank expressions.

"Truth or Punishment..." Jackie told her.

"Les gargouilles de Notre Dame venaient pour moi." Chloe said. Everyone looked at the two of them, completely lost.

"She said the gargoyles from Notre Dame were coming after her." Jackie translated.

"Ooooooooohhhh" They all responded.

"Well, at least we're all okay, I guess." Janna spoke. Star peeked over at the nearby trees where the water came from, seeing a dark mysterious figure standing there, running away immediately after being spotted by Star. Star walked over to where the person once stood, seeing a folded piece of paper on the ground. She picked it up. Before she could open it, Marco called to her.

"Everything okay, Star?" Marco asked.

"Oh uh...yeah!" Star said before she put the note in her pocket for the time being. There were bigger things to focus on. She walked back over to the group. "So...now that we fixed that mess…" Star said before everyone turned to look at Tom and Janna. "Guys? Do you have something to tell us? Because I mean, that was _some_ kiss back there." Star asked them.

"Well...uh...so we have some explaining to do." Tom said.

"Dude, I told you they would find out sooner or later." Janna said. "Listen, guys. We might as well tell you what's going on flat-out." She added before she and Tom looked at each other, then back at their friends.

"We've been going out for like...three weeks now." Tom and Janna said at the same time.

"We know." Star said, excited.

"Star!" Marco exclaimed.

"Hey, if they're spilling secrets, we might as well too." Star said.

"Fine. Look, we've known since the fireworks show at Seaside Cliffs. Star and I saw you there together and assumed that was the case." Marco explained. Tom started to come to a realization. He looked closely at Marco, observing his facial features.

"No...oh come on! _You_ were Mango McSmoothie?!" Tom said loudly.

"I can explain!" Marco told him. "We uh…"

"What kind of name is Mango McSmoothie anyway?" Tom wondered.

"It was impromptu, Tom!" Marco replied. Star put her hand on Marco's shoulder.

"Anyway, we guessed that you were both wanting to keep your relationship on the down-low so we decided to disguise ourselves so you guys didn't have to worry about us knowing." Star explained. "Wait...why _did_ you want to keep it a secret exactly?" She asked. Janna and Tom sighed.

"We didn't want to be one of those couples bombarded by people who would want to set us up on dates and just meddle in our relationship." Janna explained.

"And sorry to say it but...Star? Uh…" Tom started.

"No way! You think she's a meddler too!?" Marco asked in excitement.

"Oh, please. I know she is." Tom told him.

"You know, after that Love sentence concert the three of us went to, I have to agree with you guys." Jackie said.

"You do kind of get involved in people's relationships." Janna said. Marco looked at Chloe, who did nothing but shrug.

"You hear that though, Star? I'm not the only one who thinks you meddle!" Marco said proudly. "There's your proof! Right there! Right. Here!" Marco said, pointing at his friends, who were raising an eyebrow, wondering if he was feeling alright after the nightmare he dealt with.

"Dude...you good?" Tom asked.

"Fine. So I meddle. I can't help it! You two are just sooooo cuuuuute!" Star said as her eyes began to sparkle and her body began to jump little by little. Marco facepalmed.

"Star…" Marco spoke, hinting to her that what she was doing was exactly that made them want to keep all this a secret. She glanced at Tom and Janna, who were extremely uncomfortable.

"Oh...right...sorry. Seriously though, guys! If you wanted us to be chill about this, you could've just said so. We're your friends. We respect the both of you so if there was anything you have a problem with, we would understand!" Star told them with a smile.

"Wait...you respect me as a friend?" Tom asked.

"Duh! Tom, why would you ask something like that?" Star asked.

"Well...okay, look. My deepest fear has always been..being unable to change and become a better version of myself...and I will admit. There are days when I worry that...I haven't done that and-...and that you and Marco and all my other friends will...want to forget about me. And-..." Tom had trouble finishing his sentence. Star and Marco looked at one another before turning back to him. Star came close to him, giving him a big, friendly hug.

"Uh...what's happening?" Tom asked, confused.

"I'm hugging you." Star said softly.

"Okay...why?" Tom wondered.

"...because you need to know that I appreciate you." Star told him.

"I appreciate you too, Tom. I mean, there's a reason I call you my best friend. You're...really awesome." Marco told him.

"You aren't just saying that to get my hopes up? Because sometimes I feel like I fail at being, you know...less self-centered and-" Tom asked.

"Tom...you have changed into a much better person since the incident at the Blood Moon Ball. You're humble and...giving...and caring and just...a great person overall! I consider that to be a _much_ better version of yourself." Star explained.

"Seriously, man, we really respect the person you've become." Marco added. Tom smiled at the two of them.

"Thanks, guys." Tom replied.

"It's what friends are for, buddy." Marco said to him as he patted his shoulder.

"So, back to what we were talking about, if you have any problems, you can come to us about it, even if it has something to do with your relationship." Star told Tom and Janna.

"Well...okay. All we ask is that you guys keep your hardcore shipping to a low level." Janna asked.

"Yeah. It kind of makes things awkward for us." Tom added.

"Actually, he means for him." Janna said.

"Hey!" Tom said.

"Oh, come on, Tom. You know I don't get uncomfortable that often." Janna told him as she smirked.

"Look, either way, we'll make sure to respect that. You can count on us." Star told them.

"Yeah, I'll make sure Star keeps herself under control." Marco added.

"Marco...should I mention how you took part in today's 'meddling' just as much as I did? Admit it. Admit iiiiit." Star said, poking his arm.

"Fiiiine. We'll _both_ keep ourselves under control." Marco spoke. Tom and Janna smiled back.

"Thanks." Tom said. "And sorry we kind of...ran off on you guys. Hopefully, we didn't make you guys freak out too much."

"Nah, we're good." Jackie said. "By the way, Jackie Lynn-Thomas. I don't think we've met." She told him as she smiled, reaching out a hand for Tom to shake.

"Tom Lucitor." Tom said, shaking Jackie's hand. They let go after a few seconds. "Hey, you guys wanna grab a bite? Maybe some pizza or something?" Tom asked. Jackie and Chloe looked at one another, nodding before looking back at Tom.

"I haven't had pizza in _forever_! I'm in. Star? Marco? You coming along?" Jackie asked.

"Sure! I wouldn't mind a bit of pizza in my belly!" Marco said.

"Same here! All I ask is no corn. I'm so done with corn." Star said.

"You got it, Star." Tom said before they all started to make their way out of the cemetery. Star and Marco walked a little behind to talk.

"So uh...thanks. You know, for helping me face my fear. Oh, and sorry I pushed you." Star said.

"Hey, it's okay. And honestly, I had to do something. I couldn't just leave you crying like that." Marco told her. He put an arm around her as they continued to walk.

"Weird though...how _did_ you make your way into my nightmare?" Star asked, confused.

"I...I don't know." Marco replied, becoming a bit curious himself. "Doesn't matter though. We faced our fears and broke the curse. That's all that matters." He added.

"Speaking of which, what was your deepest fear Marco?" Star asked him.

"Well...to be honest, it was losing you. You were...you were breaking up with me, actually." Marco told her.

"Wha-...Marco!" Star said as she gave him a peck on the cheek. "You don't have to worry about losing me. There's no way I would leave your side...ever." She reassured him.

"I know. That's how I knew the Star I saw in my nightmare wasn't real. It's how I was able to overcome my fear." Marco said. "But I wasn't so sure if the others would've been able to overcome theirs." Marco added as he and Star looked at their friends.

"Yeah. That water coming from the trees helped us out. That's for sure." Star said. She suddenly remembered something. "Wait a minute. The note!" She spoke.

"What note?" Marco asked. Star reached in her pocket, taking out the folded piece of paper and opening it. They both began reading what was inscribed.

_Star and Marco,_

_Danger lurks in the shadows. I offer you information._

_Meet me at the Echo Creek Cafe._

_Tuesday evening. 7 PM_

"Oh no." Marco uttered in fear.


	20. The Detective and the Doctor

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 20: The Detective and the Doctor**

" _The Earthni moon is full…and the suspicion is high. There's a stranger among us; one that holds the key to discovery...and secrets unknown. Do I confront the mysterious figure...or do I turn back like a mewman hiker after he sees a chestnut swamp bear? The question goes on and on. I must discover...the truth!"_

"Star?" Marco spoke as he flipped the light switch in his room before Star gently turned her head. He walked into his bedroom, seeing Star looking out the window as she sported a striped black trenchcoat and a fedora on her head. Jazz music played loudly on her phone. "Whaaaat are you doing?"

"Ah, my beloved partner comes forward." Star said.

"Uh-huh...wait. Why are you wearing my Halloween costume from 8th grade?" Marco asked, confused. Star loosened her position, turning around to talk to Marco. She looked at the clothing on her body, then back at him.

"...I've been watching film noirs." Star told him. Marco gave Star a blank stare.

"...you mean those detective movies in black and white?" Marco asked.

"Yup! I've been doing my research on what to do when you get a note from a random stranger." Star told him.

"You mean this hasn't happened to you before?" Marco asked her.

"Nope." Star replied. "Anyway, I don't know what to do. What if the guy...or girl...you know, whoever, is dangerous and this note is a trap? This could be a set-up, Marco. We have to be prepared."

"And you think film noirs are the answer?" Marco wondered.

"Yup." Star told him. Marco shook his head in amusement.

"You do realize those movies were shot more than 50 to 60 years ago right? Times have changed." Marco explained to her. "Plus, if you were going to use tactics from those movies, you really don't need to wear a fedora and trenchcoat to pull it off." Marco chuckled.

"Hey! I think the hat and coat work on me. Thank you very much. Makes me a bit more…mysterious." Star said as she pulled on the collars of her jacket. "So for now on you can call me Lady Danger Le Rebel-" She spoke, using a french accent.

"Star...I'm not calling you that." Marco told her with a straight face.

"Hmm...you're right. Too fancy. How about Ms. Narwhal Rider of the Earthnian Realm!" Star said.

"Now that name's a little overboard." Marco told her.

"Oh! I came up with a name for you! Wanna hear it?" Star asked as she wiggled her eyebrows. Marco could tell this whole thing made her incredibly joyous. If Star giving him a detective name made her happy, then he was for sure going to play along.

"Fiiine. What is it?" Marco asked, kind of regretting saying he wanted to know already.

"...Inspector Yammy." Star told him as she took her hands and held them up to her mouth.

"No...no! No! I'm not being called Yammy again!" Marco told her.

"But it's adorable though!...Yammy." Star said to him with a cheeky grin.

"Look. It was really brutal being a yam, especially for a whole week. I'd rather keep that in my distant memory." Marco spoke.

"Yeah...the boredom must have been preeetty severe." Star spoke.

"You have no idea." Marco replied.

"Okay...well, I got more!" Star said as she took a list out of her pocket. "How about Detective Nacho de la Cheesy?" Star asked in excitement.

"Star…" Marco said, giving her yet another straight face.

"Fine...Mr. Abs McMacho?" Star said with a cheeky grin as she lifted his hoodie, revealing his stomach, looking for any signs of his abs returning.

"Star!" Marco exclaimed until he heard a knock on the door.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Skwynne asked, seeing Star dressed up as a detective.

"Oh! Hey, Skywynne." Marco asked. Star gently let go of Marco's hoodie.

"Hey." Star said. She suddenly noticed the bag on her shoulder. "You uh...you heading out?"

"Oh, um...yes." Skywynne said. "I was just going to go-" She started before tripping on a loose board on the floor. "Ah!" She shouted, falling on the ground. The contents of her bag spilled everywhere.

"Skywynne!" Star exclaimed.

"Oooooh wow. That looked painful." Marco said as he and Star dropped to the floor immediately to help Skywynne out. "You okay?" He asked. Skywynne lifted her head up a bit.

"Yes. I'm fine. You might want to get your floor checked for loose boards though. I thought your friends call you the 'safe kid'." Skywynne said, trying to act clever.

"...Star told you that nickname, didn't she?" Marco wondered as he began putting the contents back in her bag. Skywynne turned her head to Star, who was examining some inscribed papers that came out of her backpack. A look of concern grew on her face.

"Star?" Marco called. Star, realizing that both Marco and Skywynne saw her peeking at what was written on the paper, jumped, lowering the paper from her face immediately and handing it to Skywynne. Her eyes were wide as if she was a deer in headlights.

"...huh?" Star said in a monotone voice. Skywynne took the paper in her hands.

"Are you alright?" Skywynne asked her.

"Oh yeah! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah….yeah...yup...uh huh." Star repeated over and over. Marco wasn't blind. Something was wrong.

"Staaar? You sure you're okay?" Marco asked. He knew how she gets when she's hiding something. Star stood up, holding her breath. Her face was starting to turn red. She looked at Marco, who she could tell by the look on his face that he was not believing a word she said. Star tried playing cool as she patted Marco's shoulder.

"I'm all good, Diaz. I'm cool in the chill zone, dude." Star told him as she tried acting composed and relaxed. Marco gave her a raised eyebrow. He knew that Star wasn't 'chill' as she put it. Marco knew how she acts when she's hiding something. Nevertheless, he pretended to believe her...for now.

"Oooookay then." He said before turning to Skywynne. "Here. Let me help you up." Marco spoke, taking Skywynne and assisting her up gently until they were back on their feet.

"Thank you. Anyway, would you mind if I asked what you're both up to?" Skwynne asked.

"Oh uh...nothing too important. We just got this note from a random stranger that talks about 'danger lurking in the shadows' and all that. It's nothing." Star said. Skywynne scratcher her head.

"That...sounds important to me." Skywynne replied.

"...okay, yeah...it's important." Star said with a blank stare.

"The note said that he or she apparently has information that we need to hear." Marco added.

"Ah...and you are dressed this way becaaauuusse…?" Skywynne wondered.

"Well…" Star said as she sniffed, acting confident. "I'm just brushing up on my…" Star brushed her trenchcoat with her hands. "...detective skills, you know?" Skywynne, feeling an absolute wave of confusion, looked over at Marco.

"...Star's been watching film noirs." Marco told her.

"Marco! She doesn't know what film noirs are." Star informed him.

"Well...she _could_ know! You don't know that." Marco replied, crossing his arms.

"I'm sorry. A film what?" Skywynne wondered.

"See? Told you." Star said to Marco.

"Don't worry. There's no need to explain what it is. I can easily figure it out myself. So...you're playing a detective?" Skywynne asked.

"Well, not exactly 'playing' a detective. I'm kind of using the tactics of a detective...you know, to help me out." Star explained. "The only flaw in that plan is this guy." Star said. Skywynne raised an eyebrow, not understanding her. "He won't take part in it." She added.

"Awww. I would think your boyfriend would love you enough to support you in anything you set your mind to." Skywynne smirked, looking at Marco.

"I never said I didn't support it!" Marco exclaimed before he saw Skywynne adjusting her shoulder bag. "So, you said you were heading out?" Marco asked.

"Oh, yes. I was going to head to the cafe to work on some projects of mine." Skywynne asked.

"What kind of projects?" Star asked, extremely curious.

"I'd...rather keep that information disclosed to myself...if that's alright." Skywynne. Star gave her a raised eyebrow.

"Not a problem. We all have things we want to keep to ourselves." Marco said. Star raised a hand up.

"Hold up. You said you were going to the cafe?" Star asked, double-checking.

"Yes! Is that a problem?" Skwynne asked.

"Weeeeelllllll…" Marco spoke. "The note _does_ say that we need to meet this guy… _at_ the cafe…"

"Oh...um...if it means anything, I can make sure not to get in your way." Skywynne said.

"It's not that." Star told her. "We don't know what's going to happen there. Who knows if this guy is setting up some sort of trap. If something happened to you, it wouldn't just affect you." Star said.

"Star's right. It would affect everything. The timestream can fall off balance. It can create a time paradox of epic proportions, affecting Earth and Mewni combined! It can change the world and history as we know it!" Marco exclaimed, getting a little worked up over the thought of all he just said.

"Marco...chill, man." Star said as she rubbed Marco's shoulders, trying to get him to relax.

"Sorry...been watching a lot of sci-fi." Marco said, starting to calm down.

"So…" Skywynne started. Star let go of Marco shoulders as they both brought their attention to Skywynne. "...if I am in danger...it puts history and the whole world in danger too?" Skywynne asked beginning to look upset. "I understand. I just really want to help and...well...I can't. I apologize for my behavior. It's just...frustrating. That's all." Star could tell that she wasn't happy about this.

"Look. I know how it feels to be confined and to not be able to do what you want." Star looked down. "I mean, my parents didn't even let me stay on Mewni after my 14th birthday. They basically banished me to another dimension. Wait. No. Correction. They _did_ banish me." Star told Skywynne as she continued to look down at the ground. "But sometimes, things happen for a reason. It's something I've learned from all this." Star added. Skywynne looked up at Star. "If my parents never forced me to leave Mewni and send me to Earth…" Star looked over at her hoodie-wearing man. "...I never would have met Marco." Star smiled. Marco smiled back, putting his arm around her as Star turned her head back to Skywynne. Star continued.

"And that's not all! I wouldn't have as many friends as I do now, I wouldn't have had all the adventures I've been on, and most importantly, this world wouldn't even exist..." Star spoke. She put a hand on Skywynne's shoulder. "...which means I would have never met you." Star told Skywynne. Skywynne shed a grin.

"That's...true...I guess." Skywynne agreed with a smirk. Star's face lit up. "Alright. If you need me to stay away for my own safety, then that's what I'll do...on one condition."

"What's that?" Star asked.

"...Marco decides to go along with your idea." Skywynne told him directly.

"Hey, hey...hey! I never said I didn't like the thought of me with a different name and all that. I just feel like I should, you know...just be myself." Marco explained. Star's face suddenly lit up. "Star?" Marco spoke, a little scared wondering why Star is so excited for some reason.

"I got an idea!" Star exclaimed.

"If it's another name-" Marco started, taking his hands and putting them up against his face.

"No no no...nope." Star told him. "What if...you weren't a detective…" Star leaned in close. "But a doctor with a ph. D." Star added. Marco brought his hands away from his face as he started thinking about Star's idea. "Oh, come on! I know you, Diaz. I know you can't say no..." Star started handed him a book, paper pad, sweater vest, and psychology book. "What do you say...Dr. Marco?" Star said in a low tone of voice. Marco looked at her with a determined look on his face. Star bowed and walked backward, giving him some space to transform. Marco started spinning like a propeller on an airplane.

_Glasses!_

_Paper!_

_Clothes!_

_Book!_

"Dr. Marco! Ph. D!" Marco exclaimed, loud and proud as he pointed his finger in the air. Star leaned her arm on his shoulder.

"That's my man." Star said. She and Marco turned their heads to Skywynne.

"I'm sorry, but what exactly does ph. D stand for?" Skwynne asked, scratching the top of her head.

"Oh, it means pretty handsome dude!" Star told her.

"Star! I told you it means Doctor of Philosophy." Marco reminded her.

"I know. I just have an excuse to call you pretty handsome dude now." Star told him as she nudged him with her elbow. Marco rolled his eyes as Skywynne quietly chuckled.

"Well, anyway, I should be heading out." Skywynne said as she grabbed the strap of her bag, turning her back to the couple, about to walk out the door. She stopped herself suddenly. "I hope everything goes well for the both of you." Skywynne told Star and Marco.

"Thanks." Star told her before Skywynne walked through the doorway, heading downstairs. Star turned to Marco once Skywynne was out of their sights, clapping her hands together. "Okay, Dr. Marco. We need a game plan. We have less than 5 hours before we meet this guy." Star told him as she walked over to the desk in Marco's room. Marco could see she was focused and that she was taking this very seriously, which is something he completely understood. The fact that the note said things about darkness and all that screams bad news. He guessed that this whole 'detective' thing was to help her de-stress, which he fully accepted.

Marco had one thing running through his mind though. What was Star freaking out about earlier? Most importantly, why was she trying to hide it? He thought that Star trusted him more than anybody in the world. The fact that she was keeping secrets from him made him uneasy. He really wanted to say something to Star. He just really didn't want to break her concentration. Marco thought the best thing to do was just be there for her until she is ready to divulge what she was keeping hidden from him...if she ever planned on doing that. Marco came over to Star, who was busy looking through his desk drawers.

"Hey, Marco? You got any paper and colored pencils lying around?" Star asked. Marco put a hand on Star's shoulder.

"Oh uh...right in that drawer under my books." Marco said as he pointed to the lowest desk drawer. "Hey um...are you okay?"

"Pfft, I'm fine. It's not like one problem keeps coming after another and that I can never get a break from any chaos in the world, you know?" Star rambled as she opened the drawer a little too roughly, making it come out of the desk entirely, spilling across the floor. Star froze, staring at the mess, catching sight of colored pencils within it, and then taking a quick glance at Marco. "...there's the colored pencils." Star said as she knelt to the floor to pick up the colored pencils. Marco knelt down with her, taking her hands and holding them for a second.

"Star, I know you're stressed. You can talk to me." Marco said.

"Me? Stressed?! Oh, please! My middle name is like…anti-stress. Star Anti-Stress Butterfly." Star replied.

"You told me you don't have a middle name." Marco told her.

"Well uh...now I do. I just gave myself one so...uh...there!" Star spoke as she plopped on the floor with a thud. She took a deep breath and placed her face into the palms of her hands, groaning. "Marco...why does it never end?" Star asked him.

"Why does what never end?" Marco asked back. Star lifted her face to look at him.

"All this! First, a queen from hundreds of years ago shows up at my door trapped in this time when she needs to get back but she can't because she doesn't have magic which apparently still exists. Then there was the whole feud between the humans and monsters. Now there's 'darkness in the shadows', quote on quote?" Star took a breath. "I thought that once we found ourselves in this new world, it would be happier and...and better and that...I could focus on us and-" Star continued.

"Look. Things might be looking a little...bleak but...it doesn't mean there isn't any happiness around here. Besides, the Star I know sees positivity in almost everything." Marco said.

"Well, that positivity seems to be running on empty. I'm emotionally exhausted, Marco. Fill me with your happy vibes." Star said, stretching her arms out for a hug. Marco gladly took it, wrapping his arms around her tight.

"It's all going to be okay. We'll get through all this. We always do, you know?" Marco told her.

"Yeah. You're right." Star replied. She then had a thought. "Hey, Marco…" Star said as they let go slightly, looking at each other right in the face. "So you're okay with being Dr. Marco for a bit? If you don't want to do that-" Star asked.

"Is it helping you de-stress?" Marco asked.

"...oh yeah." Star said.

"Then consider me your primary care provider." Marco said, chuckling. Star giggled along with him."You know, now that I think about it. This could be fun. It's almost like we have secret identities." Marco said before Star pushed him in excitement.

"Marco!" Star exclaimed.

"Ow!" Marco yelped.

"Someone could kidnap us and suck the information out of our brains!" Star said.

"Okay, first of all, mewmans and humans don't suck out each other's brains, Star. Second of all…what!?" Marco exclaimed as he wondered what in the world she was talking about.

"Then how do you explain the Mewman brain sucking mystery back in Norvath 29?" Star asked. Marco's face went blank.

"...when you start making sense, let me know." Marco asked, extremely confused.

"Marco! Pay attention! If someone _does_ want this information, if they know who we are, they could...oh, I don't know, take us hostage or something. You know! Try to force the information out of us." Star told him.

"Well, if that's the case, we'll be ready for when it happens." Marco said. "Anyway, you said you have a gameplan?" He asked her. Star looked down, grabbing the colored pencils scattered across the floor along with a while notepad. She opened the notepad, taking a blue colored pencil, drawing on the paper.

"Okay, so here's the cafe." Star said, drawing a square along with adding a pretty close diagram of what the cafe looks like, including exits, the counter where you order coffee and other beverages, and tables. Star then drew two circles at the front door. She drew smiley faces in the middle of the circles. "...and this is us." Star shifted her eyes to Marco. "Let me remind you that we don't know if this is a trap. We have to be careful. Hmmm…maybe we should have back-up." She explained.

"Are you thinking Tom and Janna?" Marco asked.

"Yeah, and Pony." Star replied.

"Oh yeah. Forgot about Ponyhead. Where's she been anyway? She missed the battle at Monster Temple and everything!" Marco wondered.

"Bam Ui Pati. Week-long marathon. Season 4 finale." Star told him.

"...yeah that sounds like her." Marco spoke, not surprised at all. Star began to draw three squares in the diagram. She drew two at one exit and one at the other.

"Okay. We should have the three of them surrounding the exits, just in case they need to come in. Just so you know though, I'm not saying we can't handle ourselves with this guy. This is the worst-case scenario." Star told him. "Now, we're going to use the walkie talkies you have-" Star started.

"Wait, how did you know I have walkie talkies?" Marco asked.

"Oh, I found them in your closet while looking for glitter and pillow fluff." Star told him.

"Why would I have glitter and pillow fluff in my closet?" Marco asked.

"Doesn't everyone have those things in their closet?" Star asked.

"No, Star. That's just you." Marco told her. Star shrugged in response.

"Anyway, we'll all have walkie talkies to give each other updates on our position. This means we'll need code names. Hmmm…" Star went deep in thought. "Okay, I'll be rebel princess and you can be mango knight." Star told him.

"What? Not safe-kid?" Marco questioned her sarcastically.

"Nah. Everyone knows you're a safe kid. It would give too much away." Star told him.

"Oh, like rebel princess doesn't give too much away. It was in your song day song, Star!" Marco laughed.

"Fine, fine. I'll be sugar addict." Star said.

"That fits." Marco said with a straight face.

"Oh wait! There should be security cameras in the cafe too. I think Janna can hack into them and keep an eye on us." Star said as Marco took his phone out of his pocket, beginning to type on it.

"Okay, I'm sending a group text to everyone explaining the plan." Marco said before his phone pinged. He took a look at it. "They're all coming." Star added before her phone pinged again. "Aaaand Ponyhead wants her codename to be…" Marco took a second to read the text. "...totally not Ponyhead in any way whatsoever…" He looked straight ahead, feeling no sense of surprise at all.

"Pony, pony, pony…" Star said as she shook her head. "Well, now we just wait for them to come over." Star's eyes began to peer. "We meet at nightfall." Star said with a low voice.

"Nice quote!" Marco said.

* * *

A few hours went by before the whole gang made it to the cafe. They got there in Tom's car, which was now parked in front of the building. They all walked out of the car, shutting the doors behind them. Marco tried to peek into the windows, searching for anyone suspicious.

"Hmmm...I can't see any guy who would write a not about darkness and danger. Then again, we might have a better view inside." Marco said to them.

"Don't worry, Marco. We'll figure out who it is once we get in there." Star told him as she walked over to Janna, who was typing away at her laptop. "How's it going there, Janna Banana?" Star asked.

"So far so good. No firewalls or anything like that getting in the way so it should be easy to get into their camera feed." Janna said before her laptop pinged. "Got it. I'm in."

"So can someone please explain to me what the plan is because like, I need a reminder, you know?" Ponyhead asked.

"Ponyhead, we told you the plan about 5 times. How can you not understand it by now?" Marco asked.

"Oh no no, you got it all wrong okay? It's not that I don't understand it. I just wasn't listening because you know, my phone has been on the hook all day because obviously I'm a radio star now so I'm getting all these business calls and-" Ponyhead explained. Marco took a look at her phone screen.

"That's not business-related at all. You're looking at videos of puppies cuddling with a pig." Marco said, again, not surprised at all.

"How do you know it's not business, huh? Maybe it's for a viral video special podcast event. Huh! Did you ever think of that!?" Ponyhead asked him.

"But...it's a radio podcast. People can't see the vid-" Marco started.

"Hey! Technology advances! You need to get with the times, you hear me? Things could be holographic or whatever. You're way behind on the technology front, alright? Get yourself a phone upgrade or something." Ponyhead said as Star and Tom watched Janna mess with the cafe's cameras.

"Okay. I have full control over the cameras. I can move them around and zoom in as much as I want." Janna told Star.

"Yessss. Marco!" Star exclaimed, calling for Marco to come over.

"Hey, Star?" Tom called. Star turned to face him. "You don't think you're being a little too extensive with all this planning, do you?" Tom asked.

"Nope. After everything I've gone through, I'm not taking any chances." Star told him.

"Alright. "Tom shrugged as Marco walked towards him and Star. He began to hand out his set of walkie talkies to the group. "Oh, by the way, what's with the uh...the outfits?" Tom asked, waving his finger as he pointed to their outfits. Marco leaned closer to Tom.

"It's a de-stressor for Star. I'll explain it all to you later." Marco whispered to Tom.

"Got it." Tom whispered back.

"Alright. It's go time." Star said confidently as she put on her fedora. Marco put on his giant square glasses.

"Oh you-...you have a fedora." Tom spoke, not expecting to see that.

"Technically it's my fedora. Thanks." Marco pointed out before Ponyhead flew to the group, knocking Marco over in the process.

"GIRL OH MY GOSH! THAT HAT WORKS! Could you score me one of those?" Ponyhead asked obnoxiously.

"If anyone's curious...I'm okay down here." Marco said as he lied on the floor, hurting all over.

"Focus, guys! Tom? Ponyhead? You go over with Janna and watch the camera feeds with her. Marco, with me." Star ordered as Tom and Ponyhead went over to Janna. Marco and Star turned to the doors of the cafe. They shifted their heads to look at each other for a quick moment, nodding to one another, signaling that they were both ready. Star and Marco walked towards the door, opening it together. As they walked into the cafe, they took notice of everything in the room. The cafe was a bit larger than they thought it would be. It wasn't too crowded though. Around the cafe were customers sitting at tables on their laptops while others stood near the counter in groups, drinking their beverages. The lights were dimly lit and the place smelled like coffee and baked goods.

"You know, while we're here, I might want to grab a latte." Marco told Star. Star looked at Marco with a raised eyebrow.

"What's a latte? Can I try it?" Star asked. Marco then realized something…...coffee may be even worse than sugar.

"...sure!" Marco said. "Man, now I have to get decaf." He whispered to himself. Star looked around the room at the customers, trying to pick out the one in the bunch that they were looking for. She took out her phone, looking at the time.

"So...who do you think we're looking for?" Star asked.

"Maybe that guy over there?" Marco asked, pointing to a person in the very back of the room, wearing a grey hooded cloak, hiding his face as he sat at a table by himself in the corner.

"Excellent deduction, Doctor." Star said all fancy-like.

"Why thank you, Detective." Marco replied with a smirk. "How should we approach him? What did those film noirs teach you?" Marco asked.

"I got this." Star told him. She took out her walkie talkie, pressing the talk button on the side of it.

"Sugar Addict to Ghoul Girl. We're going in. Over" Star said quietly.

"Jeez. You're taking this seriously." Janna said on the other end.

"Hey! B-Fly! Tell your man he needs a different sweater vest! He looks like a dork!" Ponyhead spoke. Marco rolled his eyes in response to her words as he took his walkie talkie and pressed the button on the side of it.

"I'm right here, you know!" Marco spoke.

"Hey wait, what was my name again?" Tom voice spoke through Tom's walkie talkie.

"I think Star said it was Bunny Lover." Janna replied.

"Okay, now that's embarrassing!" Tom exclaimed.

"Shh! Focus!" Star quietly exclaimed. She and Marco began to walk to the stranger, navigating around the crowds. Once they came close enough to the stranger, hooded and cloaked, Star reached into the pocket of her jacket and slammed her hand down on the table. She lifted her hand, revealing the note written to her and Marco. The stranger cowered in fear from the loud slam of her hand.

"Tell us what we want to know!" Star commanded forcefully.

"Smooth, Star. Real smooth." Marco said sarcastically. Star shushed at Marco in response.

"Don't ruin the mood. Also, don't blow my cover! What if this isn't the guy we're looking for!?" Star whispered harshly. The stranger lowered his guard, recognizing their voices and Star's name.

"Princess? And...and this must be Sir Marco! You received my note!" The stranger spoke.

"Well, I'm not a princess anymore but-...woah, woah, wait! How did you know I used to be a princess?" Star asked out of curiosity.

"Yeah! Who are you?!" Marco questioned the stranger.

"Oh, my apologies, your majesty. It's just that I'm very glad you came." The stranger said before taking his hood and pulling it down. Star and Marco gasped.

"Manfred?!"


	21. She's Baaaaaaack

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 21: She's Baaaaaaack**

"You have _a lot_ of nerve showing your face around here; especially in front of me!" Star said angrily. Her blood was beginning to boil.

"Woah! Star! Calm down!" Marco told her, gently grabbing her shoulders. He didn't understand why she was so upset.

"No! Marco! You don't get it!" Star exclaimed. Marco immediately let go of Star's shoulders. "Back on Mewni, he ran off into the woods with Mina! He betrayed us right after the magic was destroyed!" Star explained loudly.

"I admit. I know that I've done some slight wrongdoings in the past." Manfred spoke.

" _Slight_ wrongdoings?! Ohhhhh really?! You betrayed my family! You betrayed every single

Mewman in the Kingdom!" Star shouted.

"Star? You're going to draw attention to us." Marco said calmly. "Breathe, Star. Breathe." Star took a deep breath in, then out.

"Sorry. It's just...after everything that happened back on Mewni...after witnessing the destruction of my kingdom and the pain _my_ friends suffered...you still went with Mina. _THAT_ is what upsets me. My friends almost died. All the monsters on Mewni almost died. _I_ almost died! And-...and you just-...just-!" Star explained.

"Miss Butterfly, if you could please listen to what I have to say…" Manfred begged.

"Come on, Star. Let's just hear him out." Marco told her. Star let out a sigh, crossing her arms.

"Fine." Star said, sitting down on one of the chairs surrounding the table. Star looked at Marco, who stood there, not knowing what to do. She pointed her head at the chair next to him, gesturing for Marco to sit down. Marco suddenly realized what she wanted him to do.

"Oh! Sorry." Marco said, sitting down in the chair.

* * *

Back outside the cafe, Janna, Tom, and Ponyhead watched the camera feed, noticing Star and Marco sitting with Manfred.

"Woah hold up! That used to be Star's servant!" Ponyhead spoke.

"So is that who sent the note?" Tom asked.

"Must be." Janna replied. "But what kind of information could he possibly have?"

"Who knows." Tom said. "I don't know why but-...I have a feeling that the information he has…" Tom pointed to Manfred on the camera. "...isn't good."

* * *

"Back during Eclipsa's reign, I realize that I was bias, believing that the monster race was against our people and that all they would ever want to do was infiltrate our kingdom's monarchy and destroy the kingdom. I couldn't quite understand both your reasonings for siding with Eclipsa so I just went along with what the citizens thought, which was that the monsters were an evil race only bent on destroying everything we stand for and live by." Manfred explained.

"Uh-huh...you're not helping yourself." Star replied, annoyed. Marco covered her mouth with his hand.

"Go on." Marco told Manfred. Star took Marco's hand and gently removed it from her face.

"As I was saying, when the battle began, I didn't know what to do. Seeing the monsters in danger made me feel as if what I thought was misconstrued. I couldn't decide who was in the wrong anymore. Was it the monsters...or was it us?" Manfred continued. "After hearing the magic was destroyed and that the monarchy was in shambles because of it, I was incredibly lost. Being without a leader frightened me to no end and...when I heard that Miss Loveberry had ideas, it made me feel that there was hope. So I ran off into the woods with her as a devoted servant as I was for you and former Queen moon."

"With Mina? Are you insane?! I mean…she's insane! What were you thinking?!" Star asked him, wondering if Manfred had lost his mind.

"I'm sorry to say it but...she has a point. You saw her terrorize the monsters. She also tried to kill us. Why would you run off with someone who wanted to kill your own leaders?" Marco added.

"I...I don't know. I wasn't thinking." Manfred told them.

"So...are you uh...still working with her?" Marco wondered.

"No. I fled not too long ago. I've realized my mistake. That's why I apologize wholeheartedly, Star and Marco. I was wrong...and to be frank, I don't expect to be forgiven in any sort of way." Manfred said. Star and Marco could see from the look on his face that he was sorry. They looked at each other, thinking of how they should respond. Do they forgive him? He basically betrayed the crown and his kingdom as a whole. That is a big mistake. Star and Marco looked back at Manfred with smiles on their faces.

"...you know, we've all made mistakes. I have. Marco has. Do we even need to mention Song Day?" Star spoke.

"Nope." Marco said.

"And that time you broke good pigeon's leg?" Star added, gesturing at Marco.

"Nuh-uh." Marco spoke, shaking his head no.

"And the booth?" Star mentioned. Star and Marco stared blankly into space before Marco turned his head to Star.

"Was that... _bad_...exactly?" Marco wondered.

"Hm...I don't know." Star replied. "...I actually kind of liked it." She added.

"Huh...me too." Marco said, smiling at Star. Star smiled back.

"Um…" Manfred spoke. Star and Marco's eyes went wide, turning their attention back to Manfred.

"Oh! Um..." Marco muttered as Star cleared her throat.

"In all seriousness though, we forgive you." Star told him. Manfred's eyes lit up. He definitely didn't expect to hear those words.

"Thank you, Star and Marco. You haven't a clue how much this means to me." Manfred told them with a smile.

"I have a question though...why are you here? You said you have information for us?" Marco asked him. Manfred looked down at the table with a straight face, then back up at Star and Marco.

"I do...and I'm afraid you aren't going to like what I am about to tell you." Manfred told them. Star's head hung back in dread as she groaned.

"If it has to do with Mina again, I'm going to lose my mind." Star told him. Manfred shed a guilty smile. "Noooooooooooo." Star moaned before she brought her head back forward and faceplanted into the table. "What did she do now?" She said, muffled.

"It's not exactly what she _did_. It's what she's _planning_ on doing." Manfred responded. Marco got his notepad and a pen and placed it on the desk, clicking the pen.

"Start from the beginning." Marco said. Manfred took a deep breath before speaking.

"Moments after I fled into the woods with Ms. Loveberry, that's when Mewni changed. I suppose that was your doing." Manfred spoke.

"Actually, Mewni and Earth cleaved together...and yeah...we did that...at least I think we did." Star told him.

"We did create those giant portals that were in the sky before our worlds collided so yeah, I'm pretty sure we're the ones that combined our worlds together." Marco explained.

"Ah. I wondered. Well, both Mina and I ended up in another section of the woods than we were previously. That's when we ran into 15 men." Manfred added.

"Wait, 15 men? Who were they?" Star asked.

"I'm not sure. I overheard their conversation not too long before I fled but I couldn't exactly make everything out. I can tell you that the men were...a bit intimidating." Manfred said.

"Intimidating? Like how?" Marco asked.

"Tall, muscular...angry." Manfred told him.

"Ohhhhh...that's not good." Marco replied.

"Anyway, I begged to be a part of it but it was as if Mina didn't trust me enough to hear it. I did hear a few quick words that were spoken, such as revenge and...and magic...oh, and something about one of our previous queens. It didn't make any sense because she has been long gone." Marco and Star held their breath hearing that sentence. "But I didn't know who these men were. I didn't know if I could trust them, even if Mina were able to. So I fled for safety." Manfred told them. Star and Marco gasped.

"Uh...wait, back to the previous queen...uh...thing. Whi-..which queen exactly?" Marco asked, nervously.

"I believe they mentioned Skywynne the Queen of Hours." Manfred said. "Why do you ask?" He asked them. Star started biting her lip as Marco started to sweat. This wasn't good to hear. They didn't know how to respond to this. Manfred couldn't know about Skywynne being in their time period, even if he wasn't in leagues with Mina anymore. He also couldn't know that Magic may still exist. Besides, what if someone else was listening? This screamed bad in every sense of the word.

"...no reason!" Marco said as his voice cracked, covering his mouth.

"We were just wondering." Star told him. "Continue." She added.

"Alllllright. So I don't know as to why Mina is working with these 15 men. The things which they speak of don't make a single bit of sense. That is why I warn you to keep a close watch for Mina and these men. I have a strong notion that what they are planning might be more dastardly than what she had tried before." Manfred told them. Star and Marco glanced at each other with worried looks before turning back to Manfred.

"Are you in any kind of danger? If you abandoned Mina she might have it in for you." Star told him.

"She's right. Do you need anything?" Marco asked.

"I'm alright. There were two benefits from being around Mina all this time." Manfred told them.

"Which is…" Star asked. Manfred shed a confident smile.

"One is Mina's battle tactics and fighting skills. I have learned her every move and know the way she thinks. Two…" Manfred said as he pushed part of his cape away, revealing a sword, "... is how to defend myself from her."

"Woah. That craftsmanship is amazing!" Marco said.

"I know...I named it quicksilver." Manfred whispered to him.

"You should've seen El Choppo. Aw man, what a beauty!" Marco said before Star took his face in her one hand, turning it to her.

"Guys! Can we focus please?" Star said. "What we _really_ need to figure out is who these 15 men are." Star told them.

"How do you suppose we do that?" Manfred asked. Of course, Star knew the answer to that question. The answer was Skywynne. She could know the answer. She couldn't tell Manfred about her being here in this time period though, even if he was saying that he abandoned Mina and learned from his mistakes. Star decided to treat this delicately.

"We'll uh…we'll figure it out." Star told him.

"You will?" Marco asked before Star elbowed him. "Ow! I meeeaaan we will! We'll figure it out." Marco spoke.

"Well, I trust the both of you, no matter how you figure it all out." Manfred replied. Star observed him for a minute, making Manfred a little worried. "Did I...say something wrong?"

"No...no. It's just...you've become a much better person since the last time I saw you." Star told him. Manfred smiled. Star took a second before taking Marco's notepad and pen in her hands, beginning to write on it.

"What are you doing?" Marco asked. Once Star finished writing on the notepad, she ripped the piece of paper off of it and handed it to Manfred.

"What is this? A code?" Manfred asked.

"No. It's my phone number." Star told him. "If ever you need our help or if you're ever in danger, call me. Marco and I will be there to help." She finished.

"Thank you." Manfred spoke. Marco made a straight face.

"Hey, Star? Come grab a coffee with me." Marco asked her. Star gave him a raised eyebrow.

"I thought you said I shouldn't have coff-" Star started.

"Come grab some coffee with me, Star." Marco said through his teeth. Star took the hint, let out a sigh before standing up out of her chair.

"We'll be back, Manfred." Star told him.

"Not a problem." Manfred replied. Star and Marco walked over to the line in front of the counter, waiting to grab some beverages for themselves.

"Okay, Marco. What's wrong?" Star asked.

"Star, you're giving Manfred your phone number. You know that? Your _phone number_!" Marco reminded her.

"Yeah...okay...so?" Star asked.

"Well, I mean, Manfred used to work with the one crazy lady who tried to kill you _and_ your family. What makes you think you can trust this guy? I've always had a bad feeling about him from the start anyway." Marco said.

"Look, he's changed! I can see it! He's not as selfish and rude and condescending as he used to be. Besides, something I've learned through all of our adventures is that everyone deserves a second chance." Star hesitated for a second. "And I can't believe I'm saying this but...I think Mina deserves one too." Star told a very shocked Marco.

"...please tell me you're kidding." Marco spoke.

"Nope." Star said before confronting the barista at the counter. "Two coffees. One regular aaaaand one decaf..." Star said, pointing with her fingers. "...unfortunately…" Star muttered quietly, really wishing she could have some regular coffee. Marco knew what was best for her though.

"You're serious?" Marco asked.

"Yup." Star replied before calling out to the barista. "Oh, and extra whipped cream and caramel in mine please!" She spoke loudly. Marco took her arms and held them, turning her to him.

"Okay, you've literally lost your mind." Marco said.

"Oh, no, no. Trust me. I've had caramel before. It's no big deal." Star said.

"No, Star. I'm talking about Mina. She tried to _KILL YOU_ and your _FAMILY_." Marco reminded her.

"I know but...Marco...I think Mina needs help." Star told him.

"Oooookay. Why?" Marco asked.

"...Mina was Solaria's faithful warrior. I've heard so many things about Solaria. All she ever wanted to do when she was queen...was take land and...and bring revenge upon the monsters. She loved battle and..and war and...I think she brainwashed Mina into thinking that the only thing worth doing in life is fighting." Star explained.

"So you think you can change Mina's mindset from bad to good?" Marco asked.

"I think so. At least I hope so. Right when the ghosts of all former queens appeared in the realm of magic, which I thought was _reaaally_ creepy by the way...I saw Mina's face when she saw Solaria helping me destroy the magic. She looked...betrayed and...lost. I have a feeling that if she knows that there are people out there that want to help her, she can turn back around." Star spoke.

"Hmm...I guess you're right. I did give Tom a second chance after the Blood Moon Ball and the Naysaya curse so...I guess Mina deserves one too...even though Mina is WAY worse than Tom" Marco replied. "Are you sure you can trust Manfred though? You don't think he's lying about betraying Mina. Do you?" Marco asked.

"If you think he's going to get as much information as he can out of us to bring back to Mina, then you're probably wrong." Star told him.

"How do you know?" Marco asked her. Star frowned.

"I know what it looks like when someone is lost and is trying to do the right thing. Remember when I was in that position after my mom disappeared? I know how it feels. I genuinely think that Manfred wants to make things right. I'm just wanting to give him a little leeway." Star said. Marco took a second to think about it before Star put a hand on Marco's shoulder. "You wanted to help me when I was feeling lost; you know, the school party when I admitted I had a crush on you, when I found out I wasn't a princess anymore, when my mom went missing-" Star continued as she counted with her fingers.

"Yeah. I remember." Marco said. "And...you did help me after...I broke up with Jackie…and now look at us." Marco shed a smile before Star did the same.

"Yeah." Star said, losing her train of thought.

"Oh, by the way, Sta-" Marco noticed she was dazed. "Star?...Star!" Marco asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah...sorry...I was just...uh...picturing you with...abs...again." Star said. Marco facepalmed. "What were you saying?'

"Anyway, I just want to make sure I was thinking the same thing you were, but how you were you going to find out who those 15 men are exactly?" Marco asked.

"Uhhhh...Skywynne?" Star told him.

"Okay, we were thinking the same thing." Marco replied.

"If Skywynne is involved, she might have some answers." Star spoke before the barista came back with the two coffees. One of them looked like a regular everyday cup of coffee. Another one had whipped cream on top, making it twice as tall as Marco's. Marco blankly stared at it.

"Youuuuu have a problem." Marco told her, seeing Star eating the whipped cream off of her coffee. She lifted her face, revealing a whip cream mustache.

"No, no, no. It's not that _I_ have a problem. It's that _you_ haven't experienced the _power_ of whip cream." Star told him, pointing at her coffee. Marco picked up a napkin from the counter and wiped Star's face. "Oh...thanks." Star nervously chuckled. They walked back over to the table where Manfred was sitting. Manfred looked at the tall coffee Star was holding.

"May I ask what is on top of your coffee?" Manfred asked.

"Magic." Star said in an epic voice. Suddenly, Star's walkie talkie went off.

"Ghoul Girl to Sugar Addict. We have someone wearing a hooded cape at the back exit." Janna said through the speaker. Manfred gasped.

"I thought you two were alone!" Manfred spoke.

"We had to take precautions." Marco said as Star got her walkie talkie out.

"Sugar addict to Bunny Lover. Are you in pursuit?" Star asked.

"You know that name is so belittling." Tom spoke.

"Just tell me if you're closing in on the suspect!" Star exclaimed.

"Calm down! I'm closing in." Tom said.

"Roger that." Star replied. Silence filled the table. Marco began to quietly whistle as Star drummed her fingers on the tabletop. They stopped for a few seconds before Marco spoke.

"So uh...what's taking him so long?" Marco asked. Star took the walkie talkie and pressed the talk button once more.

"Sugar Addict to Bunny Lover! Who is the suspect?!" She asked once more.

"Could you please stop calling me-" Tom started.

"Tom!" Star exclaimed.

"See, that's better." Tom replied.

"Tom!" Star and Marco both yelled.

"Guys, chill. I'm almost there." Tom said. There were a few seconds before he spoke again. "Uhhhh...you might want to come out here." Tom said. Star and Marco got up out of their seats.

"Where are you?" Marco asked.

"Back door." Tom responded before the two of them ran to the back of the store. Star came to the door in the back of the room, jiggling the handle. The door wouldn't budge though. Marco put an arm in front of Star.

"Stand back!" Marco told her as Star took a few steps behind her. He brought his leg up and back, getting in a kicking position. "Hiiiiiya!" Marco shouted, kicking the door open, able to see outside.

"Freeze!" Star and Marco exclaimed as they stood in a fighting stance, seeing Tom...with Skywynne. They loosened their positions.

"Skywynne! Wha-...I told you not to come!" Star spoke.

"This...um...this might look bad but-" Skwynne started.

"Bad? Bad?! Skywynne! You're putting yourself in serious danger here! You're not just any average everyday Mewman you know!" Star exclaimed.

"She has a point! In there is a man that used to work with a Mewman warrior that almost

killed the royal family _and_ all of monsterkind, including me and Star! What if she was here right now and knew that a Mewman queen from hundreds of years ago was standing here right now?" Marco explained. Skywynne dropped her head, feeling extremely guilty.

"...I really messed up. I just want to be a part of this and help in any way I can. Is that wrong to think; wanting to help?" Skywynne asked. Star and Marco frowned, seeing the dismay on her face. Star, even though she was very upset Skywynne didn't listen to her and Marco, had some sympathy. Star had her moments where she wanted to help so desperately, she went against her peers. She could understand where Skywynne was coming from. Star has been called childish, rebellious, and crazy for wanting to do what was right for her kingdom. She didn't want to turn into one of the people that treated herself badly for wanting to do right.

"Hey…" Star spoke. Skywynne lifted her head. "Even though what you did was not the smartest idea...I get it. I've wanted to help my kingdom, even if preeetty much everyone told me not to." Star told her. "So...it's okay. I know you didn't mean anything by it." Skywynne shed a slight smile.

"You know, there _is_ a way you can help us if you really wanted to." Marco said.

"Really?" Skywynne said, excited.

"Yeah. But not here. You never know if someone's...you know...watching us." Star reminded them. "Tom?"

"Got it. Come on, Skywynne." Tom said as he guided Skywynne away from Star and Marco and towards his car.

"Soooo what should we do now? It's your call." Marco asked. Star thought to herself for a second before turning towards the door.

"Come on, Marco." Star said. They both opened the door and walked inside, making their way back to the table where Manfred was sitting at. Star and Marco walked up to him.

"Is everything alright?" Manfred asked.

"Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Everything's fine. We just uh...have to go." Star told him.

"Really? Why so soon?" Manfred wondered.

"Oh, uh...we have to...uh…" Marco had to think of something quick. He couldn't tell Manfred they had to go talk to Skywynne, even if Manfred isn't in leagues with Mina anymore. They had to leave though. Skywynne was in a bit of danger hanging around the cafe. Someone could already know she was here. Marco glanced at Star with a face that screamed 'HELP ME!'. Star immediately got the message.

"We're going...back home! Toooooo meet with the mailman!" Star told him.

"...at almost 8 PM?" Manfred wondered.

"Yup! Special delivery. We need to be there when it comes." Star added.

"Special wha-" Marco asked before Star put a hand over his mouth. Marco moved her hand out of the way.

"Hope you don't mind if we leave a little early." Star spoke with a smirk.

"Oh, not at all, Miss Butterfly! If you have somewhere to be, then I will not hold you up." Manfred said as he stood up and reached out his hand. Star took his hand and shook it.

"Thanks for telling us about Mina. You have no clue how much we appreciate you telling us all this." Star said before Manfred let go of her hand and shook Marco's hand.

"Yeah, man. Thank you." Marco added. Manfred let go of Marco's hand.

"If it means keeping you both safe, it's worth it." Manfred spoke.

"Well, we'll make sure to keep in touch." Star said.

"As will I." Manfred replied, holding up Star's phone number written on a piece of paper.

"Cool. Take care!" Marco told him while he and Star walked away. Suddenly, Star came back, grabbing the coffees they forgot on the table.

"Need these." Star said with a cheeky grin before rushing back to Marco.

* * *

Everyone made it back to Marco's house shortly after Star and Marco bid farewell to Manfred. Just when they thought there weren't going to be any more major problems, of course, Mina is now back in the picture. It really frustrated Star. She just wants all of this to be done and over with. The group were sitting in the living room as Star and Marco informed their friends of what Manfred told them.

"Nooooooo!" Ponyhead yelled. "But I thought we were done with that crazy psycho maniac!"

"Nope." Marco said.

"Uuuuughhh. So annoying. Can she just...you know...stop?" Janna asked.

"Janna, it's not _that_ easy to stop a lunatic like Mina." Tom replied. "You would have to take risky measures to stop someone like her." Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Ooo! It's here!" Star exclaimed.

"What's here exactly?" Marco asked.

"My package! Just a sec!" Star told him as she stood up.

"Wait, a package? But-...you were serious?!" Marco asked.

"Yup! I forgot before but you helped me remember back at the cafe!" Star told him before she skipped over to the door, opening it when she got to the doorway. A mailman stood at the door, looking as if he was about to fall asleep. Star looked at the small package in the mailman's hands. Her eyes grew wide with excitement.

"Ooooooooooo! Thank you! Wow, I want to be as awake as you at this time of night! I must know your secret!" Star told him, hopping up and down like a little rabbit. She came close to the mailman. "Do you drink _caffeinated coffee_? My boyfriend won't let me drink it." Star whispered to him, pointing behind her at Marco. Marco's eyes went wide.

"What did I do?!" Marco asked, slightly concerned. The mailman had no reaction.

"...can you sign this, please?" The mailman said, emotionless and soulless, handing her a clipboard. Star took the clipboard in her hand.

"Okay, okay. I get it. Secrets are sometimes best kept a...secret." Star said, nervously clearing her throat. "You knoooww...it's my first time getting a package 'Earth style'...and signing a slip for it." Star told him, sprightly.

"...you don't say…" The mailman replied...again...emotionless. Star began signing the paper on the board. Once she was done she handed the clipboard back to him. The mailman looked at the paper, seeing Star's signature...along with some hearts...and spiders...and squids. The mailman shrugged.

"...good enough. Here you go." The mailman said as he handed her the package. Star's excitement grew more once she held the package.

"Thank you!" Star said before closing the door excitedly shut while the mailman stood right in front of it as it slammed.

"She doesn't drink coffee?" The mailman asked himself as he walked away, wondering how in the world she was so energized. Star walked back to the group with the package in her hand.

"Soooo what did you order?" Tom asked.

"Wait here!" Star said as she walked into the kitchen real quick.

"Must be something _huge_." Janna said.

"...or dangerous." Marco said.

"Or it might be something for me! Have any of you ever thought of that! We give besties gifts! You guys don't normally get them because Star and I are best besties, okay? Just so you know." Ponyhead spoke with her nose in the air.

"I'm rather excited to see it honestly!" Skywynne told them.

"You really don't know Star as well as we do. Sometimes things she buys or makes can be...unique."Tom told her. Star came back after about 20 seconds.

"Narwhal-kitten-spider socks!" Star exclaimed in excitement. On her feet were blue socks. On each foot of the sock were a...somewhat ghastly...morph of a narwhal, kitten, and spider. "I got them made custom!"

"Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying your socks represent a hybrid of a narwhal, kitten, and spider?" Janna asked.

"Yeah!" Star said.

"...cool." Janna said, giving a thumbs up.

"Okay, first off…why? Second, _how_ did you order that exactly?" Marco asked. "You don't have any money!"

"I didn't use money! I used this magical card you have with a lot of numbers on it!" Star told him.

"You what?! Star! That's my credit card!" Marco exclaimed.

"See? That's not money!" Star told him.

"Yes it-..." Marco sighed. "Wait a minute. My card has a pin number. And...and you need a zip code! How'd you get those?" Marco wondered.

"Oh! Janna told me them!" Star said, pointing at Janna.

"Glad to be of service." Janna said calmly as she looked at cards in her wallet.

"Identity theft, Janna. IDENTITY THEFT!" Marco shouted. Skywynne leaned over to Ponyhead.

"Should I be concerned or-..." Skywnne asked.

"Oh, no. Earth turd's just having one of his episodes again." Ponyhead told her.

"Earth what?" Skywynne asked.

"I heard that, Ponyhead!" Marco told her.

"Guys? Maybe we should uh...get back to what we were talking about?" Tom asked, trying to get everyone focused again...and to get Marco to calm down a bit.

"Right. Anyway, well...I could've stopped her." Star said, becoming saddened. "My mom, Eclipsa and I _did_ let her run off into the woods so...I guess it's our fault." Star said, shrugging with a frown.

"Star, it's not your fault." Tom told her.

"He's right. There's no way you could've known this would happen." Marco told her.

"I guess. I just really want to help her." Star added.

"I'm...sorry? _Help_ Mina?" Janna spoke, a little concerned with what she said.

"Look. I know Mina doesn't mean what she does. From what I heard, she used to be a peasant girl who was kind-hearted and gentle, while still believing that her kingdom deserves the best and was willing to fight for it in a civil way..." Star began to explain. "...but Solaria brainwashed her into believing the wrong things."

"Um…" Skywynne started to speak. Everyone turned their heads to her. "I'm sorry but...who's Solaria and...and Mina, you said?" She asked.

"Solaria was-" Star stopped. She'd rather not tell Skywynne that Solaria was her daughter. That might not bode well. Plus, it could affect the time stream if she found out. Star had to be careful. "...was a former queen sometime after you were queen." Star said.

"Ah. Okay. What about Mina?" Skwynne asked.

"A lunatic?" Tom spoke.

"A maniac." Ponyhead added.

"A mental case?" Janna said.

"Guys!" Star exclaimed, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Mina...is a woman who doesn't exactly have the best motives? I guess?" Star looked down and sighed. Marco watched as he frowned. "I used to look up to her when I was little. She was my role model. She knew how to fight and survive and...she was the coolest…" Star's face shed a bit of anger. "...or so I thought." Star lifted her head. "Mina's power-hungry. She desires control and justice. She tried to kill my family and friends. She tried to kill all monsterkind, all because a queen with the wrong mindset towards monsters told her, 'Oh, monsters are bad and are trying to overthrow the kingdom and kill every Mewman in creation! Bla bla bla bla bla.'." Star explained.

"Oh...oh dear. I'm...so sorry." Skywynne said, feeling very sympathetic. Star suddenly realized Skywynne was starting to feel bad for her. She waved her hands about, making it known to her that there was no reason for her to feel any sympathy at all.

"No...no no. It's okay." Star told her as she dropped her arms. "I still think she deserves a second chance, considering her situation. She was misled. It's not entirely Mina's fault that she's the way she is." Star said. "But yeah, we won in the end but...she never... _ever_ stops trying to get rid of everyone and take over any kingdom...or world...she sees in sight." Star said.

"Well, I mean...it's a good thing you were able to stop her." Skywynne replied.

"While that is true, what we have to figure out is how to stop her this time around." Marco said. "Speaking of which...Skywynne? Remember how we said we could use your help?"

"Oh yes! I completely forgot about that." Skywynne responded. "How can I be of any assistance?"

"Well, not to scare you or anything but...Manfred might have mentioned...uh...you." Star told her. Skywynne gasped. Fear covered her face.

"...I'm sorry? Why would-" Skywynne asked timidly.

"That's the thing. We have no idea. We did find out a bit more information as to what Mina has been planning so we were wondering if you could help us put the pieces together." Star said.

"Well... I'll answer what I can." Skywynne said, still a little scared as to why she's involved.

"Great." Star said. She tried to figure out how to start this conversation."So...Manfred mentioned that Mina mentioned about you along with...I think it was 15 or 16 men?" Marco told her.

"Wait, I'm sure it was 15 men." Marco told her.

"Okay then. 15 men. Oh, and she said the word 'revenge' too. Remember?" Star spoke.

"Oh yeah! And 'magic'!" Marco asked. Skywynne was starting to feel lightheaded. Panic started to flow through her. She was terrified now. Skywynne immediately got up, feeling a bit dizzy.

"Skywynne?" Marco called. Skywynne couldn't talk right.

"I...I.." Skwynne stuttered before running over to the steps, hurrying her way upstairs into Marco's room. The group looked at each other with worried looks, wondering what was going on.

"Okay...like...what just happened?" Ponyhead asked.

"I don't know. It's like she was freaking out or something." Janna told her.

"Is she okay?" Tom asked.

"I don't know." Marco replied. Star stood up.

"Let me talk to her." Star said to everyone before walking towards the stairs, making her way up the steps. Once she got to Marco's room, she knocked on the door.

"Uh...Skywynne?" Star asked, taking her time to grab the doorknob and open the door. She slowly turned the knob, opening the door. "Can I come in?" Star asked. She looked towards Marco's desk, seeing Skywynne in a full-blown panic. Star walked over to her. "Skywynne? Talk to me." Skywynne tried to calm herself down.

"...this is all my fault." Skywynne said quietly.

"Wait, what?" Star spoke.

"I'm the reason...that Mina has this plan in her head." Skywynne told her. Star pulled a chair next to Skywynne, sitting in it, facing her.

"I doubt it's your fault." Star said. Skywynne turned to Star.

"It is...but I never intended for any of this. It was all an accident and-..." Skywynne stopped mid-sentence, dropping her head.

"Hey." Star spoke. Skywynne lifted her head. "You can tell me. You can trust me. Okay?" Skywynne looked to her side before looking back at Star.

"...there are two things I need to tell you about. I'd rather tell you first before I tell anyone else though." Skywynne said to Star. Star nodded in response. " Alright...so there's the spell that went wrong…

...and Astroida."


	22. Good Luck Charm

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 22: Good Luck Charm**

Skywynne explained everything to Star alone. She'd rather tell Star first than telling everyone at once. Skywynne didn't know how they would take it. Since she knew that Star was pretty understanding of her, she was more comfortable admitting all of this to her. Once they finished their conversation, they decided on what to do from here on out.

"Skywynne...you have to tell everyone else." Star told her. Skywynne lacked confidence at the moment. She wasn't feeling up to telling anyone in any way, shape or form. Negative thoughts raced in her mind.

"But...they'll hate me after they hear what has happened...and what I did." Skywynne said, feeling hopeless. Star felt incredibly bad for her. She tried to give her comfort in her time of sadness.

"No. They won't. I've made mistakes. Marco's made mistakes. Tom's made mistakes. We've _all_ made mistakes. Besides, you never meant for any of this to happen." Star told her. Skywynne looked down and took a second to think before looking back at her.

"...I'd rather...not say anything until tomorrow. I'm not ready to tell your friends yet." Skywynne said.

"That's fine. We were actually planning on hanging at Janna's tomorrow. You can tell us there." Star told her as she put a hand on Skywnne's shoulder.

"I don't know. I...need time to decide if I want to or not. I might actually stay here tomorrow if that is alright. I realize that I need to tell them because of Mina and for the protection of your world but...fear is taking over me at the moment." Skywynne told her as she looked to her side.

"I promise not to say anything to them." Star told her. Skywynne continued feeling hopeless. "Skywynne?" Star called. Skywynne turned her eyes to her. " _We..._ are going to get through this...together." She added before Skywynne shed a smile.

"Thank you." Skywynne replied.

* * *

Star came back downstairs. Everyone stood up, watching her walk down the steps.

"How's Skywynne?" Marco asked.

"She's okay. She just needs some time to herself." Star said.

"Okay. So, what did she tell you?" Tom asked.

"I uh…can't tell you...just yet." Star said as she looked away from her friends. Everyone gasped.

"What? But...why?" Janna asked. Star sighed as she walked closer to her friends.

"She said she would tell us when she's ready. She'll explain everything to you guys. Don't worry." Star said. "Plus...I made a promise that I wouldn't say anything. She just needs some space right now."

"Well...okay. I mean, like, if it was that bad..." Ponyhead started.

"We can wait, Star." Marco said.

* * *

Tom, Janna, and Ponyhead left Marco's house around 9:30 PM. Star and Marco were in their bathroom, getting ready for bed. Star was brushing her hair while Marco was brushing his teeth.

"So…" Marco said, muffled with toothpaste in his mouth. "...is Skywynne okay, at least?" Marco asked before he spat out the toothpaste from his mouth.

"Yeah. She's fine." Star replied. Star and Marco grew silent as they continued getting ready for bed. Marco put down his toothbrush.

"...you can't tell me anything?" Marco asked. Star stopped brushing her hair.

"Marco! You said you were okay with waiting!" Star spoke.

"I know. It's just...we never keep secrets from each other." Marco said. "It's just...weird...I guess." Star glanced at Marco's hand on the counter. She took her hand and placed it on top of his.

"Marco, you know I would _never_ keep a secret from you." Star said.

"I know." Marco said. Star looked at his somber face. She took her free hand and cupped his face, turning it to her.

"You trust me, right?" Star asked him.

"Well, yeah. Of course, I do." Marco replied.

"Then I need you to trust me now...okay? You know how much promises mean to me. I...really need to keep this one...for Skywynne's sake." Star asked him. Star felt bad about keeping a secret from Marco, even if it was a promise that she wouldn't tell. Marco could tell she felt bad about it. He took his hand on the counter and intertwined his fingers with Star's.

"I've never stopped trusting you, Star." Marco said. "And if this means you keep a promise to Skywynne, then I understand." Star and Marco smiled at each other before Marco spoke again. "Well, anyway, I think it's time we hit the hay. How about you?" Marco asked her.

"Oh, I'll be in there in a bit. Still need to uh...brush my hair." Star told him. Marco blankly stared at her.

"...you've been brushing your hair for 10 minutes straight." Marco replied.

"Marco, Marco, Marco. Until you grow long hair...which by the way, please don't, you will never know how much time and energy it takes to maintain hair such as _mine_." Star told him as she flipped her hair. She kissed his forehead. "Don't worry. I won't be long." She finished.

"Okay then." Marco nervously chuckled. "Well, night Star."

"G'night, Marco." Star told him back as he left the bathroom, closing the door behind him. She leaned herself against the counter, looking at herself in the mirror. Thoughts started to flow within her mind, like Mina, the possible magic that might still exist, and what Skywynne told her. She just wished it could all stop. She was hoping that Earthni could be a fresh start for her; that nothing bad was ever going to happen again. She guessed that trouble always followed her around. She dropped her head down and sighed.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuugh." Star groaned. "I just want to relax."

"Well, why don't you then?" A voice said in her head. Star jumped.

"Glossaryk! Wh-...where've you been? You've been quiet for weeks! I actually forgot you were still inside...my head." Star spoke as she pointed to her forehead.

"I was giving you a break...I thought you would've noticed I was gone. You may not see me at the moment but it doesn't mean I'm invisible." Glossaryk said.

"Well when you don't talk for weeks and you have _so much_ going on, you tend to forget things!" Star said loudly and forcefully. He noticed that Star seemed to be pretty down.

"Something troubling you?" Glossaryk asked.

"No...well, yes. I...gnah! I don't know!" Star said as she took her hair in her hands and slightly tugged on it.

"Well, one who cannot make up their mind as to if they are troubled must be troubled." Glossaryk told her.

"I guess. It's just that I can never get any downtime! Ever since that day when I was 14 when I inherited the 'family heirloom', a.k.a. that _stupid_ wand, trouble seems to follow me everywhere I go." Star slouched down to the floor and tucked her knees into her chest. She took her arms and hugged her knees.

"The question you need to ask yourself is...why." Glossaryk told her.

"Why?" Star repeated.

"Yes." Glossaryk responded.

"Why what?" She asked.

"Think, Star. Why. Why is it that trouble follows you around?" Glossaryk asked her.

"Pfft, how should I know! All I know is that I feel as if I'm nothing but bad luck." Star said somberly. She immediately face-planted into her knees.

"Have you ever thought of yourself as being nothing but... _good_ luck?" Glossaryk questioned her. Star lifted her face.

"Huh? How does that even make sense?" Star wondered. "Trouble isn't good luck. What made you think-"

"I never said trouble was good luck, Star." Glossaryk told her.

"Oooookay I don't get it." Star told him.

"Hmmm...how do I put this simply? Hmmm...alright. When Marco was kidnapped by Toffee, what happened?" Glossaryk asked Star.

"I…saved him?" Star asked.

"And when your mother was lost, what did you do?" He asked her again.

"Uhhhhhh...I found her." She spoke.

"How about when Mina was bent on destroying you, your friends, your family, and all of monsterkind?" Glossaryk questioned.

"I destroyed the magic?" Star replied.

"Yes, but think deeper than that. What else did you do?" Glossaryk added. Star looked to her side, trying to think. "You saved all of Mewni, including your family and friends." Star looked straight ahead, starting to come to a realization. "Don't you see what I am trying to tell you, Star?"

"I...I think so?" Star said as she stood up on her feet. "You're saying that...I'm good luck because...when trouble comes my way...I'm...always able to fix it?"

"Bingo!" Glossaryk exclaimed.

"So...even if I haven't fixed what's going on now...I'll find a way?" Star added.

"See? You're starting to understand now." Glossaryk told her. Star smiled. She was starting to get her confidence back. Glossaryk had a point. Sure, Star has made a few mistakes. She's always been able to overcome all of it though and fix anything that comes her way, turning it all from bad to good. Glossaryk was right.

"You know...I feel a lot better. Thanks." Star said.

"Aren't I the best?" Glossaryk said proudly. Star made a glare.

"Alllright now you're pushing it a little." Star said.

"Now, now. When has self-confidence ever been a bad thing?" Glossaryk asked.

"When it turns into self-absorption?" Star replied.

"Mm...perhaps. Now then, I should be getting back to my massage session." He told her as he snapped his fingers, making a massage table and masseuse Glossaryk appear in her head.

"Massage session? Seriously, how do you have all this stuff in my head?" Star wondered.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm a magical being? I can make anything appear anytime I want to." Glossaryk told her.

"Then why did you always ask for pudding when you _weren't_ in my head? You couldn't make that 'magically appear'?" Star asked him.

"Ah, ah, ah. That would reveal too much."

"Reveal what?!" Star exclaimed.

"Oh my. I must go. Time is precious and so is a back crack. Byyyyyyye." Glossaryk said as he faked his voice going off into the distance.

"Glossaryk!" Star called out, knowing he was derailing from the question she just asked him. She sighed before speaking again. "Thank you." Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Staaar? Are you uh...are you decent?" Marco asked as he opened the door, covering his eyes.

"Oh! Yeah. I'm decent." Star told him. Marco took his two fingers and spread them apart, taking a little peek for safety before removing his hand completely from his eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I just heard you talking to yourself." Marco spoke.

"Oh. Yeah, it was just Glossaryk." Star told him, pointing to her head.

"Ohhh...huh. I actually forgot he was still in there." Marco said, looking at Star's forehead.

"Me too." Star said. Marco could notice she was a little happier than a few minutes ago.

"Hey, you okay?" Marco asked her as he walked closer to her.

"I'm...actually great. Glossaryk kind of helped me see everything in a whole new light; Mina, Skywynne, the lost magic...all of it. I thought it was like I was cursed or something and that trouble follows me wherever I go but-..." Star looked to her side before speaking again. "...it all came to me because I'm the one who's able to fix it. I always thought I'm bad luck but..." She looked at Marco. "...I'm actually good luck in a way." Star finished. Marco smiled at her.

"Wait, Glossaryk...didn't speak in riddles like he usually does?" Marco asked, astonished.

"Yeah. I know." Star said, feeling just as amazed as him. Marco chuckled a little bit.

"You know, it's good to see you confident again." Marco took his arms and wrapped them around Star. "I've missed it." Star let out a sigh, digging into his shoulder as she took her arms and embraced him. After a few seconds, Marco was about to let go until Star grabbed him tighter. Marco jumped from the sudden tug.

"Can you...can you not let go just yet?" Star told him. She couldn't help but wanting the hug to continue. She loved Marco's warmth. Ever since that first hug they had at the Stop 'N Slurp, she's loved them. It's always been 'their thing'. They mean much more to her now that they're together. Marco smiled before grabbing Star tighter.

"Hey, if it were up to me, I would never let you go." Marco told her. Their hug brought some good memories back; all their adventures together, every heartfelt moment they've shared, and so much more. He began to think about how he felt when he thought he had lost Star forever when Earth and Mewni were separated. He recalled how broken he felt; how much his heart hurt and how painful the thought of it all was in him. What if he lost all of this? What if he could never see Star again. Marco started to get emotional. Star could hear slight sniffling coming from him.

"Marco?" Star called.

"Y-..." Marco's voice was shaky. "Yeah?" Star immediately pulled back a bit to look at Marco's face, which had a tear running down it. Star gasped.

"Hey...hey…" Star took her hand and removed a tear from his face. "What's wrong?" Marco sniffled.

"Oh, d-don't worry. I've just been thinking about...how I felt when I thought I lost you for good…" Marco started to cry a little harder. "...and h-...how happy I am to have you back." Marco told her as he cried. Star couldn't believe her ears. He was to the point of tears...because he was _that_ joyous to have her back with him. Who knew a hug could make him feel so much emotion? She knew that he loved her...but she didn't think it was to that point. Besides, Star has never seen Marco cry before. She had a realization that his love for her must be immense. It actually made Star tear up a little too. A tear ran down her cheek.

"Wait...why are _you_ crying?" Marco asked, concerned. Star took him and hugged him again.

"Now I'm thinking about it...but in my case though." Star told him. "Not to mention...you crying is making me cry." They both grabbed each other tighter, enjoying each other's company. "Wow…" Star breathed as she slightly chuckled.

"What?" Marco asked.

"...I think we're having an emotional moment." Star slightly chuckled.

"I'd say so." Marco told her. "It has been a crazy past few months. I think it's getting to us." Marco laughed before Star did the same. They chuckled together for a few seconds before pulling back again. "You know...when's the last time we went on a date? And I don't mean like Beach Day 2.0. I mean just the two of us." Marco asked.

"I...I don't know now that you mention it." Star realized.

"Well...you know...we _could_ have some alone time if you want. We could take a walk in the neighborhood or something. The moons give off enough light after all." Marco told her.

"Mr. Diaz, are you implying that we should go on a date? Like…right now?" Star asked playfully. Marco gave her a grin. "...okay I give in. What time is it?" Star wondered. Marco reached into his pajama pants pocket, taking out his phone. He pressed a button, looking at the time.

"...9:40?" Marco told her. Star gave him a playful look. He gave one back.

"Hmmm…" Star hummed. "We have time." She added. They gave one another a cheeky smile before going back in the bedroom, grabbing a change of outdoor clothes with glee. Star grabbed a short-sleeved shirt, overalls, and sneakers and ran into the bathroom to change as Marco grabbed his regular t-shirt, hoodie, jeans, and sneakers. After a few minutes, Star came out wearing her outfit along with a set of pigtail braids.

"Woah...where'd you get that outfit?" Marco asked.

"Oh, Skywynne got it for me one day when she was out with Ponyhead. What do you think?" Star asked as she twirled. Her pigtail braids were as if they were ribbons, twirling around her.

"You look amazing." Marco said with a smile.

"Awww. Thanks." Star told him. "So, where are we going to go on this little 'impromptu date' of ours?" Marco thought to himself for a second before snapping his fingers, having an idea come to his head.

"Come on." Marco said before he and Star walked out of the bedroom and downstairs to the kitchen. Marco began searching around the room.

"So what are we in here for?" Star asked.

"I just…" Marco opened a cabinet, grabbing a box of Captain Blanche's Sugar Seeds. He then walked over to the fridge and grabbed a carton of milk. "...needed these." He then walked over to the island, grabbing his keys off the countertop.

"Wait, we're taking the car?" Star asked.

"Uh huh." Marco replied as they walked out of the kitchen and over to the front door.

"Okay, okay...where to exactly?" Star wondered.

"Ah, ah. Now _that_ is a surprise." Marco told her as he opened the front door. Star and Marco walked over to the car. He beeped the car, unlocking the doors before they opened them, getting in the car; Marco in the driver's seat and Star in the passenger seat. Marco handed her the box of Sugar Seeds. "Can you hold these for me?" Marco asked.

"Why even ask?" Star told him as she began to open the box.

"Wait! Don't open it yet!" Marco told her.

"Why not?" Star asked him. "You know how hard it is for me to resist the sugary...crunchy…" Star began to drool. Once she realized, she cleared her throat, wiping the drool from her face. "Sorry."

"Save it for when we get to where we're going." He chuckled. Star gave him another playful look.

"You just said we were going to take a walk in the neighborhood…" Star spoke.

"Yeah. Well, I have a better idea." Marco said as he turned on the ignition."Oh, wait!" Marco said as he reached in his hoodie pocket, grabbing a blindfold. "Put this on." Marco told her.

"Okayyyyy...whyyyyy?" Star asked.

"I want to make this a surprise." He replied as he began to drive, pulling out of the driveway, making their way to their destination.

* * *

They drove for about 20 minutes before getting to where they were headed. Star had no idea where they were because she was blindfolded. Once the car stopped, Star tried to figure out where she was. It wasn't too noisy. That could've been because it was late at night though. Marco got out of the car.

"Hold on." Marco told her.

"...Marco where am I?" Star asked in a monotone voice.

"You'll see in a minute." Marco told her. Star could hear him open the trunk. What was he getting out of the trunk? He never put anything in the trunk to begin with!...or did he? Then, she heard it close. Suddenly, she heard the car door next to her open. Star felt his hand grab hers.

"I gotcha." Marco told her.

"Kay...you better not let me fall, Diaz." Star told him.

"I won't. I promise." He replied. Star, assisted by Marco, stepped out of the car with her sugar seeds in her other hand. Star took notice of how the ground felt. Every step felt hard and the texture was rough. She guessed it was a street of some sort. She took in the smells. For some reason, it smelled familiar to her. Star couldn't quite put her finger on exactly where she smelled it before. As they continued to walk, Marco guided her, warning her of every crack and bump in the ground.

"Okay, we're coming up to a step." Marco told her. They slowed down before Star took her foot and lifted it up and forward, being careful on the step Marco was referring to. They continued walking. Suddenly, the ground felt different again. It felt...soft...and a little hard to walk in, almost as if her feet were sinking into it. She heard something loud up ahead, like the sound of rushing water.

"Alright. Take off your blindfold, Star." Marco told her. Star grabbed hold of the blindfold and removed it from her face.

"We're...at the beach! Again!" Star happily announced as she jumped up and down with excitement. She looked at the three moons in the sky being reflected off the calm ocean waters, making the whole body of water shimmer and shine. The gem-like rocks they saw the first time they went to the beach a while ago were glistening in the sand. There were little clouds in the sky, making it so each moon can still completely show its majesty in the night sky. There was no one on the beach. It felt like Star's own private island not too far from home. She knew the smell was familiar. It was of the salty sea. She's loved that smell ever since the first beach day. There was a very slight gust of wind, just enough to make the warm air feel a bit cooler. She turned around, seeing Marco holding a picnic basket and a large blanket. "Awww, Marco!"

"We've had beach days so...why not a beach night! You know, a night of our very own!" Marco told her.

"Oh my gosh, why are you so perfeeeect." Star whispered as she took Marco's arm. She looked at the picnic basket and blanket he was holding. She reached over and took the blanket from him. "Hey, I might be your date but I have hands." She said, hinting that she has no problem carrying a few things for him. They walked onto the beach, setting their stuff up. They weren't going to go in the water, mainly because it was around 10:30 PM and there was no lifeguard on duty….it was Marco's decision, obviously. This night couldn't have been more perfect for a beach night; the weather was perfect, the water was perfect, the sand was perfect, and most importantly, the mood was _absolutely_ perfect for a late date night. Marco noticed some light glowing within the ocean waters.

"Hey, is that-" Marco started, pointing to the light.

"That must be a section of the Waterfolk Kingdom!" Star told him. Three fish-like beings came out from under the water. "Hi frieeends!" Star waved. They all waved right back before diving back into the water, giggling as they went under.

* * *

Some time went by. Star and Marco ate the entire box of sugar seeds between each other. They stared out at the sea while they sat close to each other on the blanket spread across the soft sand. Marco watched her as she removed a band from one of her pigtails.

"Whaaat are you doing?" Marco asked.

"These pigtails are kind of pulling at my head a bit." Star said. Her pigtails were unwoven, revealing her long golden hair flowing in the wind. Marco became mesmerized as he watched Star's locks let loose. Star took a deep breath, letting it out while taking in this moment so it could stay forever in her memory. Her eyes were closed as she smiled. Marco watched as she took in the scent of the sea.

"Beauuutiful…" Marco breathed. Star opened her eyes, hearing his comment.

"What?" Star asked him, feeling absolutely touched. Marco snapped out of it.

"Oh…" Marco cleared his throat. "Sorry…I was uh..." Marco started, nervously chuckling.

"Hey, you shouldn't have to say sorry for wanting to soak up your girlfriend's untampered beauty, Marco." Star said as she took her hand and flipped her hair.

"Well, that's modest." Marco teased. Star nudged him.

"Hey, you can't say I'm wrong. Admit it, Diaz. You find me _absolutely_ alluring." Star told him, finding this whole situation hilarious.

"Fine, I give in." Marco laughed. He took a deep breath in and out. "I have to admit. This is probably one of the best dates we've ever had."

"Well, sometimes the spontaneous ones are the best." Star said. Star and Marco looked back out at the ocean. Star suddenly had a thought come to her mind. "Marco?"

"Hmm?" Marco sounded.

"Remember how you said back at the monster temple that you believe in destiny?" Star asked him.

"Yeah." He responded.

"Well...the more I think about it, the more I'm starting to believe in it." Star told him. Marco's face lit up. He immediately turned his head to Star.

"Really?" Marco asked her.

"Mmm-hmm." Star replied as she continued to look out towards the ocean. "When I think about why trouble always comes my way and the reason behind it...it's almost as if...it's my destiny to fix it." She turned her head to Marco, looking down at the ground. "...but I might just sound crazy, huh?" Star asked.

"Not at all." Marco said with a smile. He continued to look at her face while her skin glowed against the moonlight. "Hey…" Marco sounded. Star lifted her eyes to look at him. "Remember what _I_ told _you_ on our first beach day? How you create your own happiness through self-determination?"

"Uh-huh." Star replied.

"Well, you also use that self-determination through all of the problems you face. You have so much of it that there is nothing that comes your way that is never taken care of. So...yeah. I would say it's destiny." Marco told her. Star shed a smile at him.

"You know, you always know how to make me feel better." Star told him. "I guess it's one of the reasons why…" Star took Marco's hand, interlocking her fingers with his, "...it's destiny for us to be together, huh?" Marco smiled back at her.

"Yeah." Marco said back. They looked at each other for a quick second before leaning in for a kiss. They both let out a sigh as they enjoyed the touch of each other's lips.

For a second, Star's cheekmarks glowed.

Then Marco's cheekmarks appeared and began to glow too.

Once they pulled apart, Marco's cheekmarks disappeared as Star's dimmed. Their foreheads continued to touch as their eyes kept closed.

"Love you, Star." Marco told her.

"Love you too, Marco." Star replied as they both enjoyed this moment. Their heads backed away and their eyes opened. Star and Marco began looking into each other's eyes, letting each other look as deep into their soul as they could, feeling so comfortable with one another as if they had nothing to hide. They turned their heads back towards the ocean, leaning them against one another as they took in the scenery.

* * *

"Sir? Mam?" A voice spoke very close to Star and Marco. Star and Marco opened their eyes, seeing a brightly lit sun above them. A person with an officer's hat came in front of it, acting like a shade. Star and Marco took their arms and blocked even more of the sun as they laid on the ground.

"Could you...stay...right there? You're a nice shade." A sleepy Star said out loud without thinking.

"Are you alright?" The figure asked again. Star got a clearer look at the person standing above them. It was an Echo Creek Officer. "Can you hear me?" Star and Marco lifted their bodies up, rubbing their eyes and stretching their arms. They opened their eyes and gasped.

"Huh...wha?" Marco mumbled.

They were still at the beach.

"Oops." Star and Marco said together.


	23. Lemonade

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 23: Lemonade**

Tom, Janna, and Ponyhead arrived at Janna's house around 11:30 AM, right before lunchtime. It wasn't exactly Janna's idea to invite everyone over. It was more along the lines of Tom convincing her to have everyone come over. They sat in the living room, waiting for Star and Marco to arrive.

"So where are Star and Marco exactly?" Tom asked.

"I don't know. Star just texted me and said…" Janna took out her phone. "...running late. Will be there soon…cat-face emoji, heart eyes emoji, spider emoji, cake emoji, aaaaand about 20 unicorn emojis." Janna told Tom. Tom looked over Janna's shoulder, glancing at her phone.

"What does that even mean?" Tom wondered.

"Come on. It's Star we're talking about. It probably doesn't mean anything. She's probably hyped up on emojis since she got that new phone." Janna shrugged.

"Wait, wait, wait. I know what it means! Okay, okay, okay, listen up. It _obviously_ means that B-Fly saw a cat that she thought was like, the cutest thing ever. Then she fed a gross spider some cake which, I mean, _WHY_ would you waste cake on a spider?! Then the 20 unicorns is Star saying how incredible I am because we all know I'm so humble, generous, and beautiful." Ponyhead finished. She suddenly felt a vibrate from her phone. She took it and put it on the table, opening it up with her nose. She looked at her phone screen revealing a text from Khrysthalle.

" _I just, like, saw this human and like, she was so pretty but...I don't want to feel like I'm not pretty because...like...I am though. Her makeup was so good though. So was her hair. Guys I think I'm having a crisis."_

"No one cares, Khrysthalle! At least you don't have to work through blood, sweat, and tears to get your looks, kay!?" Ponyhead yelled at the phone. Tom and Janna stared at Ponyhead with confusion.

"Sister trouble, I'm guessing?" Tom asked.

"Seriously though. Being the head sister is like, _so_ exhausting." Ponyhead told them. Ponyhead's phone suddenly rang. "KRYSTHALLE!" Ponyhead exclaimed furiously before taking the phone in her mouth and floating away to another room. Tom and Janna sat there with blank expressions until Tom realized…

...he and Janna were alone.

"So...Janna. We're alone now. So..." Tom told her as he put an arm around Janna. He began to lean in to kiss her. Janna wasn't looking at him though. She didn't know that he wanted to kiss her.

"I hear you loud and clear." Janna said before running upstairs to her room for a quick minute.

"Wait, why are you going-" Tom wondered. All he wanted to do was kiss her. This confused him. He continued to sit on the couch, whistling as he looked around the room, waiting for his girlfriend to come back. Janna came back down the stairs, holding a large, old book in her hands.

"Time to conjure up some spirits." She said to him, determined

"No, Janna. That's not what I-" Tom started.

"Okay, let's see…" Janna said as she opened up her book, flipping through the pages. "Now that Mewni is part of Earth, maybe there's monster spirits."

"Janna, I don't think-" Tom tried talking again.

"So that means we can conjure animals, monsters, mewmans, or humans. Take your pick." Janna told Tom.

"Look. I know that's...you know, 'your thing' but I'm not really into 'raising people from the dead' and all that. I mean, I did it once for Marco but that's one of the only times I've ever done it." Tom said.

"That makes no sense. You're a prince of _The Underworld_." Janna spoke.

"Yeah...I'm like my dad. He's not into it either." Tom told her.

"Weird." Janna said. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Janna walked over to the door. She opened it, revealing a panting Star and Marco, still in their outfits they were wearing when they were at the beach. Star leaned a hand on the door as Marco bent down, holding his knees, both out of breath. Janna stared at them blankly. "...hey."

"Where were you guys?" Tom asked.

"It's...a long story." Marco said, panting.

"No...it's not...Marco." Star told him.

"It's...an expression!" Marco replied.

"Look, okay, I have to go!" Ponyhead told her sister through the phone as she walked into the living room. "...NO KHRYSTHALLE! I'M NOT GOING TO PAY FOR YOUR HIGHLIGHTS!" She listened to her sister through the phone once again. "HEY! GIRL! You know who needs them? Whistine! Her hair is like hay that's about to fall off her head, you know that?!" Ponyhead loudly stated. Star, Marco, Tom, and Janna blankly stared, wondering what in the world was happening on that phone call. Ponyhead realized that Star and Marco were at the door. She froze for a few seconds before reacting. "Yo! B-Fly! Earth Turd! Where have you been?!" She asked them, pretending as if that phone call never even happened.

"Aaaand we're back to Earth Turd again." Marco muttered under his breath, annoyed.

"Look, I know we're late but...okay. We had an "impromptu" date at the beach last night and...uhh..." Star stopped, finding what happened with the two of them a little embarrassing.

"We might have been woken up by an officer." Marco finished as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Wait, hold on. You guys fell asleep on the beach?" Tom asked, astonished.

"You had to be there last night to understand, Tom. Hmm...maybe you should go there with Janna one night." Marco hinted to him.

"Well, I..uh…" Tom blushed.

"Dude, they know we're dating. Why are you so embarrassed by it?" Janna replied. Star came closer to Janna.

"He was like this with me the first time Tom and I dated." Star whispered to her so that Marco didn't feel uncomfortable.

"Really? Well, I know how to fix that." Janna started as she got a watch out of her pocket.

"Janna! Were you thinking about hypnotizing someone again?!" Marco asked her, finding hard to believe that Janna wants to try that again. Then he wondered, "Wait, why am I surprised?" Janna suddenly turned her curious eyes to Tom. Tom held his breath.

"Wait, why me?...and hold on. That's my watch!" Tom pointed.

"Welcome to my world, man." Marco told him. Ponyhead was looking out the front door, searching for someone.

"Yo! B-fly! Wasn't Sky supposed to be with you two?" Ponyhead asked.

"Yeah but...she gave me a call while Marco and I were on our way here. She'd rather have some alone time." Star told her.

"Is she...okay?" Tom asked.

"Don't worry, she's fine. I promise you she'll tell you guys everything when she's ready." Star told them. Tom, Janna, and Ponyhead turned to Marco to see what he thinks about all this.

"Star's got this handled. Trust me on this." Marco told them with a hopeful smile. Suddenly, Star's cheekmarks began to glow and flicker. Star didn't notice...but Marco did. He gasped.

"Star! Your hearts!" Marco exclaimed, pointing to her face.

"What about them?" Star asked.

"They're...flickering!" Tom said. Star took her hands and touched her cheeks.

"What the-...why are they…" Star wondered.

"I don't know but I think we should keep an eye on them for the rest of the day. It could be something important." Marco told her. All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. Janna turned to the door once again, opening it, revealing a troubled Skywynne standing in front of her, looking down at the ground.

"Skywynne!" Marco called. Tom got up off the couch as everyone stood there in silence, waiting for Skywynne to speak.

"...I'm sorry for being so quiet." Skywynne looked up. "I'm...I'm ready to speak to all of you now." Skywynne told them.

* * *

Janna brought a few extra chairs into the living room along with some snacks, such as chips and pretzels. They all gave their full attention to Skywynne and what she had to say. The fact that she was afraid to tell everyone meant that this had to be really important. Skywynne was a little nervous to speak. Her hands were shaking as she held a chip in her hand. She placed the chip on the table.

"So...I may have done something that caused all of this to happen." Skywnne told them.

"Aw come on. I'm sure it wasn't anything too serious." Marco told her. He nervously chuckled. "Right?...uh, right?" Skywynne looked down to the floor. She took a deep breath in, and then out.

"I guess I should start from the beginning of my reign; my coronation. My mother wanted to hand the crown over to me due to the fact that she found ruling to be 'boring' and wanted to move to her vacation home inside a nearby volcano." Skywynne told them.

"Was your mom any good at being a queen at least?" Marco asked.

"She was...adequate, in my opinion. My grandmother Luminosa was much better at it. She had a complete interest in ruling the kingdom. She governed over the land with a fair hand and absolute kindness. She was much more suited for it. My mother? I mean, she has always given me great advice when needed but she just didn't want to rule. So, she gave me the crown and I became the new queen. To be honest, I had the urge to be a better queen than my mother. In fact, I vowed that I would."

"So what does this have to do with what's going on with Mina?" Janna asked. Skywynne bit her lip.

"She's obviously getting to that, Janna." Star spoke.

"There was someone else who desired the crown more than I did. Her name...was Astroida." Skywynne told them.

"Astroida?" Tom repeated.

"Who's she?" Ponyhead asked.

"Yeah. She wasn't anywhere in the book of spells." Marco added. He glanced over at Star.

"All record of Astroida was taken out of the book for the safety of the kingdom." Star told Marco.

"Wait, she was taken out of the book?" Skywynne asked.

"Yup. Glossaryk told me." Star told her, pointing at her head.

"Ooooookay. If this person couldn't even be _in_ the Book of Spells, she must be really bad. I mean, Eclipsa's chapter was just locked, not taken out." Tom mentioned.

"Well...I should probably tell you that...Astroida was...my sister." Skywynne told them. Everyone gasped.

"You had a sister?" Marco asked.

"Yes. She was about 2 years older than me. We were...like best friends. Astroida and I would spend every minute of every day together. I recall when we were very little, we would play in the garden and pretend to be the guards." Skywynne chuckled as memories came to her mind. "We would watch over the small creatures that lived in the bushes and trees, almost as if we were their protectors." Skywynne told them. Everyone smiled, listening to the stories Skywynne had to tell. "There would be days when we would mess with the guards too...which I regret, somewhat, knowing how difficult their job can be."

"That sounds so much fun. I always wanted a sister." Star said. Skywynne's emotions grew somber.

"...it wasn't always like that though." Skywynne told them.

"What happened?" Marco asked. Skywyyne took another breath.

"As tradition goes, the firstborn in the family is supposed to earn the title as ruler. So...Astroida was supposed to get the crown but...there was a reason I was given it instead of her." Skywynne spoke.

"Wait, why didn't Astroida get the crown? If it's tradition, why break it?" Tom asked.

"As Star knows very well, magic runs through each generation of the Butterfly family's DNA." Skywynne explained to everyone. Marco leaned over to Star to whisper something to her.

"Star? If...if it runs through Butterfly DNA, how did you-" Marco asked quietly.

"I have noooooo idea." Star whispered back to him. "Trust me. I've tried asking Glossaryk but...yeah. You know how secretive he is."

"Have you never heard of the phrase, 'Some things are best kept secret.'?" Glossaryk told her from in her head. Star rolled her eyes.

"Well, there are some that can learn to use magic at an early age. However, with the help of Glossaryk and the magical high commission, us, Butterflies can learn to control it and use it wisely. Magic can, sadly, corrupt your mind and harden your heart if you aren't guided in the right direction with it. Astroida...apparently mastered her magical powers way too early...and on her own. I was only about 6 when I realized it. I would take a peek into her room, seeing her conjure spells that she didn't realize had some destructive qualities. There would be times when her spells would go wrong, destroying her room. Mother would have to come in and fix it." Skywynne explained.

"Were any of those spells in the book of spells?" Tom asked.

"No. I didn't think it'd be wise to do something like that. Besides, my mother had the previous book of spells when Astroida would come up with these spells. I wonder if my mother ever wrote them in that book. It's long gone now because of the fire so there would be no need to worry about Astroida's spells being used in the future." Skywynne replied.

"So what happened with Astroida?" Janna asked.

"Well, years went by and Astroida became more distant from her friends and family...and her magic became even stronger...and more destructive." Skywynne said. "I don't think she was intending to put any harm on anyone, but there were many that feared she would someday due to what magic can do to one's own common sense. I recall when I came into her room one day to talk to her. I was 15 and she was 17."

" _Hey uh...Astroida?" Skywynne spoke, knocking on the door. "I was wondering if I could borrow one of your pairs of mittens? It's cold outside and mine ripped when I was helping farmer Crimson with the pig goats. One of them chewed them up." Skywynne came into Astroida's room, seeing her sister writing some notes down in her notebook while sitting on her bed. "A-...Astroida?"_

" _What? Oh, yeah. In the drawer over there." Astroida told her. Skywynne went over to Astroida's dresser, pulled a drawer open, and grabbed the mittens. She heard Astroida whispering to herself. However, Skywynne couldn't exactly make out what she was saying. Skywynne grew concerned._

" _Is...everything alright?" Skywynne asked her._

" _Hmm? Oh uh...yeah." Astroida told her. Skywynne walked over to her sister, looking over her shoulder, trying to see what was on the book. Astroida slammed it shut, glaring at Skywynne. "Did I say...you could look at my book?" Astroida asked her angrily while giving her little sister a creepy stare._

" _Um...I'm sorry...I…" Skywynne started before she darted out of the room._

"I went back into Astroida's room while she was out so I could see what she was keeping secret. After being given a look as she gave me that night, I only assumed the worst." Skywynne told the group.

_Skywynne tip-toed into Astroida's room, making sure not to make a sound. She went over to Astroida's night-table, seeing the book laying on top of it. She took the book in her hands and walked out of the room, making her way back to her own room._

_Once she was in her bedchambers, she shut the door, locked it, and sat on her bed. Skywynne opened the book. What she saw...scared her quite a bit._

_There were drawings and notes…_

_Drawings of Astroida's vision of a perfect representation of her rule…_

_There she was...standing on a tall pillar...while everyone else below was dressed in tattered clothes, bowing down to her._

_Skywynne turned the page, seeing the poem Astroida wished to be given the day she became queen._

_Astroida the Paramount_

_Is above all those who live_

_If a subject dared do wrong_

_Their life he or she would give_

" _Astroida?" Skywynne said in disappointment as she dropped the book in fear and disgust._

"Woah." Marco said in astonishment and disturbance.

"And we all thought Mina was-" Janna started.

"Janna! Be a little sensitive!" Star loudly whispered. Janna realized that maybe her comment was a little too much for Skywynne to take.

"Um...nevermind." Skywynne took a second before speaking again.

"After that day, I decided to stay away from my sister until proper action was taken to help her. Astroida would try to prove to my mother as well as Glossaryk and the magical high commission that she was capable of more than any previous queen by showing her the spells she created. She thought that mastering magic at such a young age by herself showed potential and strength. Everyone else thought of it as the exact opposite."

"That it could corrupt your mind and make you feel above everyone else?" Marco asked.

"Weren't you listening, Earth Turd? She just said that like, a minute ago!" Ponyhead responded.

"...speaking of someone feeling as if they are _above_ everyone else." Marco breathed.

"...I don't know what you're talking about." Ponyhead said before she turned around, seeing a tiny mirror on the wall. She floated over to it. "Well, hello you mighty fine hunk of pony!" Ponyhead told herself before posing in front of the mirror. Marco sighed in disappointment, while at the same time, not being surprised at all.

"As I was saying, Astroida became set on becoming queen and ruling over the kingdom. I sensed that Glossaryk and the magical high commission saw this as a risk, especially after I discovered that Astroida's journal went missing. I had a feeling that either my mother or Glossaryk or the magical high commission took it without either me or my sister noticing. Still, they worried that with all of the power she had along with the skill she possessed with magic, something could change her thought process...making her lose all of her morality and compassion. It's been done with those who try to wield the magic wand for themselves, which also possesses a little magic of its own." Skywynne told them. Star recalled a few that tried controlling the magic wielded within her wand; Ludo and Lobster-claws. They went mad with power, being unable to fully control themselves with it.

"Magic wands are sort of like a tool for those first learning how to wield magic. There have been some queens who were able to learn magic before they gained the wand. On the other hand, there have been others that couldn't bring out the magic inside of them until they've had the proper training with the wand." Skywynne continued. Star raised her hand.

"Yup. That was me." Star said out loud.

"You know, Star, you never told me how you did with your wand on the first day you had it. Like, I know it wasn't anything good but-" Marco recalled.

"Ohhhhhh yeah...I kind of...uh...set the kingdom in accidental flames." Star told him. Marco's eyes grew wide.

"...you did wha-" Marco started.

"It's a story for another time, Marco. Pay attention." Star said to a very shocked Marco.

"Oh...um...well, the Magical High Commission had a meeting with my mother and Glossaryk about Astroida and the threat she could bring to the kingdom. I don't know exactly what was discussed between them because I wasn't there. However, my mother came to me one day while I was in my room.

" _Oh, Skyyyywynnnne!" Skywynne's mother, Lyric, called from outside her room. Skywynne was in her room, brushing her hair in front of a mirror on the wall._

" _Hi, mother!" Skywynne said to her. She noticed that her mother was a bit nervous about something. It made her a bit worried. "Everything alright?" Lyric took a deep breath, releasing it a second after._

" _Remember how...when you were little, I explained to you how being a queen works? How you earn your title and what happens when you pass your crown to the next in line?" Lyric asked her daughter._

" _I believe so. Why remind me?" Skywynne asked. Lyric took a second to figure out how to tell Skywynne gently about what was going on._

" _Well, honey...I have been talking with Glossaryk and the Magical High Commission and...after much consideration...we have all decided to name...you...our next queen." Lyric told her. Skywynne stopped brushing her hair. She froze stiff._

" _I'm-I'm-I'm...I'm sorry?" Skywynne repeated. Lyric sat on Skywynne's bed._

" _Skywynne? You will be Mewni's next queen." Her mother repeated._

" _But...bu-...what about Astroida! You told me that the-" Skywynne started._

" _The firstborn becomes queen first? I know." Lyric told her. "Honey, why don't you sit next to me?" She asked her daughter as she patted next to her._

"Mother wouldn't tell me the reason why I was becoming queen instead of my sister. There was no need for her to tell me though because I already knew what was going on. Of course, I was in a little bit of a panic because I had no idea what being queen meant. My mother said I would have some assistance from those higher up to help me out which brought me a little bit of comfort. What really worried me...was the response I would get from Astroida." Skywynne told everyone.

"I'm guessing the response was far from good..." Tom asked.

"Well, she confronted me the next day." Skywynne spoke.

" _You took away what is rightfully mine! I was supposed to be queen!" Astroida exclaimed in anger._

" _Astroida, I had nothing to do with-" Skywynne calmly started. Astroida thought this was all her doing. If only Skywynne could get it through to her._

" _I worked so hard to master magic at a young age! I worked so hard to show I had potential! You didn't do anything to prove you can bear the weight of the crown! You don't deserve it! I do!" Astroida continued to yell._

" _Astroida? I-" Skywynne tried to say until Astroida covered her mouth with her own hand. Skywynne held her breath out of fear. There was no way to speak to her now._

" _You will pay for this. You'll be a horrid queen and regret this one day. You'll get what is coming to you, whether it be from me, mother, or from the kingdom." Astroida told her before removing her hand from Skywynne's mouth. "Stay away from me if you know what is best for you." Astroida walked away as Skywynne started to cry._

" _What's happened to you?" Skywynne asked quietly._

"Skywynne...I...I'm so sorry." Marco told her.

"Thank you for your sympathy but I'm afraid that is not the end of the tale." Skywynne spoke.

"Wait, there's more?" Janna asked.

"Yeah, unfortunately." Star told her.

"Yes. Things did get worse once the third year of my reign came into fruition. I was working on a spell. It was a harmless spell. It was a spell that would delete gravity. I meant to only delete it in a small space in my bedchambers. I meant to do no harm but-" Skywynne started getting emotional.

"Skywynne? Did...did anyone get hurt?" Marco asked. Skywynne felt as if she was about to be sent into tears. Star got up out of her chair and came over to her.

"It's okay, Skywynne." Star said, holding onto her shoulders for comfort. Skywynne tried getting her breathing back under control before speaking again.

"...instead of deleting gravity in one small space...I…" Skywynne swallowed. "I deleted gravity off of all of Mewni." Skywynne said somberly. Everyone gasped.

"I didn't think that deleting gravity off an entire planet was possible!" Tom asked. Skywynne nodded.

"With magic, anything is." Star told him.

"Little did I know what kind of consequences would come out of it." Skywynne added.

" _Astroida!" Skywynne called out. She was outside the walls of the palace, watching as many of her subjects floated in the air. The whole kingdom was in chaos. Everything, even the castle, was beginning to lift off the ground. Pieces of the castle would break off, disappearing into the atmosphere. "Astroida?!" She called once more. She had a ribbon undone from her dress, tied to one of the fences of the palace so she would stay on the ground as best as she could. She saw her mother safely holding on to a column nearby. However, there was no sign of her sister. "Astroida!" She yelled again. Suddenly, she looked to her right, seeing Astroida lifted off the ground, heading towards space. "No! Astroida! Make your way to me! Grab my hand!" Skywynne exclaimed as she reached out to her. There was no luck though. Astroida was out of her reach._

" _I told you that you would mess up!" Astroida yelled in tears. "I swear, if I am alive after this, you are going to pay the next time we meet! I swear on that!" She screamed. Astroida continued to lift higher and higher until...she was gone._

" _Astroida!" Skywynne exclaimed louder, knowing that her sister…_

_...was gone._

"I was able to reverse the spell and return everything to normal...well, as normal as she could make it but...there was no way to get Astroida and the other 15 mewmans back." Skywynne finished.

"...oh my gosh." Marco breathed. "Skywynne...I-" Skywynne held a hand up.

"Thank you for your sympathy but there is no need for it. I made a mistake and...and I've learned from it. I'm very careful with magic now, especially from what I've been through with both the gravity deletion and Astroida's dangerous spell making." Skywynne told the group. "So to answer your question from a few days ago...yes. I may know who those 15 men are. Janna, do you have a pen and paper?" She asked. Janna walked over to the dining room table, where a pad and pen laid on the tabletop. She brought it over to Skwynne, who took it in her hands. She began to inscribe on the pad. However, this was a language that was unknown to many of them. Star, however, looked at it weirdly.

"Why does this writing look familiar to me?" Star asked herself.

"I _did_ write this in my chapter of the book of spells." Skywynne told her.

"Ooooooh…can you tell me what it all means because I...uh...can't figure it out. Trust me. I've tried." Star replied.

"Well, to be safe, I wrote all of this in the book of spells in this code, which is called low-mewnian writing. This language was a shared skill only with the Butterfly family. No one else in Mewni knows of this writing. It is a code that only the queens use to communicate in secret." Skywynne explained.

"Ooohhhh...so that's what that ancient writing was in the book." Marco realized.

"Yes. Now, because this is crucial to the survival and protection of your world, I will tell you the translation." Skywynne grew serious. "After hearing the last words Astroida said to me, I highly believe that these 15 men are the descendant of the 15 that went missing the day I deleted gravity...and are here to seek revenge against me and all living beings in your world."

"Wait, how do you know it's the same men? It could be some random dudes that lived on Mewni or Earth." Janna said.

"...one day, there was a note placed underneath my bedchamber door. I still don't know the name of the recipient but...it said that the 15 men were alive and living in a bustling world, which I wrote in low-mewnian in the book. I would assume at this point that the note was talking about what was previously known as Earth." Skywynne told them.

"Wait, so...you think someone from Earth sent you the note? How would the sender know unless they were actually on _that_ bustling world?" Marco wondered.

"I would assume so...somehow…" Skywynne replied.

"One thing we do know for sure is that with Mina helping them, we're in deep trouble now." Star said.

"Wait a second." Tom interrupted. "Skywynne. You said there were 16 people that were lost, including Astroida?"

"That's right." Skywynne replied.

"Then...why did Manfred say there were only 15 men?" Tom wondered.

"You know, Tom's right. Where's number 16? Did Manfred count wrong?" Marco asked.

"Not sure. What if he did count right and number 16 just didn't make it?" Janna thought.

"Maybe. What we need to focus on right now though...is a gameplan." Star said.

"Um-" Skwynne sounded. Everyone turned their attention to her. "So...you all aren't upset with me? About anything?" Skywynne asked, concerned that everyone would think differently of her now, and not in the best way.

"Why would we be upset? You didn't do anything wrong. Sure, the gravity deletion spell went a little haywire but you couldn't have known what would happen." Tom told her.

"Yeah. Skywynne, we all have made some mistakes. None of us are perfect." Marco said.

"Except for me!...well okay, I'm not _perfect_ but I'm kind of close." Ponyhead proudly proclaimed.

"Sure you are, Ponyhead." Tom replied sarcastically.

"See, Skywynne? I told you they wouldn't hate you for any of this." Star told her. Skywynne smiled.

"I'm really glad to have met all of you. Thank you...for being here for me." Skywynne replied. The group gave her a very reassuring smile. Suddenly, Star's cheekmarks started flickering again.

"Seriously, what is up with your hearts, girl?" Ponyhead asked.

"I don't know. I just...I just have this weird feeling in my gut." Star said.

"You think the hearts are trying to tell you something?" Marco asked.

"I don't know. They've never done this before." Star said before grabbing some pretzels from the bowl and putting them in her mouth. Her mouth started feeling a bit dry. "Hey, Janna? Got anything to drink or slurp or…" Janna thought for a minute before snapping her fingers.

"Oh hey, I got some frozen lemonade popsicles I made a while ago." Janna said.

"We'll get them. They're in the freezer, right?" Marco asked as he got up.

"Yup." Janna replied before Star and Marco made their way to the kitchen. Star's hearts got brighter the more they went into the kitchen. Marco took notice to it.

"What the heck?" Marco spoke. Star looked at herself in the reflection coming off a nearby microwave.

"They're getting brighter!" Star said to herself.

"You think this means something?" Marco asked.

"I wish I knew. Maybe I'm just thirsty and this is something Glossaryk added to my hearts as a joke." Star said. She was expecting a response from Glossaryk...but there was nothing said. "Huh…"

"What?" Marco wondered.

"Glossaryk didn't say anything...I must be right." Star said as she opened up the freezer. She noticed some yellow popsicles on one of the shelves.

"Oooo!" Star said before noticing Marco taking a good look at it, twirling it around in his hand as he observed it. "What's up with you?"

"I don't know. I just feel like...this looks familiar to me or...or something." Marco said. He then shrugged. "Eh, I must be overthinking because Janna made it...thinking she...I don't know, poisoned it or something."

"I'm sure there's no harm in it, Marco." Star told him. "Cheers?"

"Cheers" Marco repeated as they clinked their popsicles together, biting into them a second after. Marco grimaced, not liking the flavor at all. "This tastes awful! What do you think Sta-" Marco stopped.

Star's eyes were glowing a bright yellow.

"S...Star?" Marco called. He wanted to tap her. Marco then wondered if that was a good idea or not. "Okay, I was right. Janna! What are in these pop-" Marco stopped talking.

Star began to float…

Marco didn't notice...but his moon cheekmarks came back...and they were glowing too...

Then, Star's whole body began to glow…

A few objects in the kitchen began to float too...

"Uh...guys!" Marco called out to his friends as he watched his best friend slash girlfriend lift off the ground. He noticed a few objects moving his way, about to plummet him. He dodged left, then right. He jumped up in the air after noticing something coming towards him from down towards the floor. Suddenly, she started descending back to the ground. Her eyes went back to normal with her blue irises showing. Marco's cheekmarks faded away as everything in the kitchen came back down as well. Star immediately went limp. Marco caught her right away in a panic.

"Star? Star! Are you okay?!" Marco asked loudly. Star started coming to.

"Huh...wha…" Star mumbled. She, then, saw Marco holding her. "What just...happened?"

"Surprise!" Glossaryk spoke, instantly appearing in front of their very eyes.

"AHH!" They shouted.


	24. A Little Rusty

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 24: A Little Rusty**

"Glossaryk!" Star exclaimed, getting up out of Marco's arms.

"What the heck!" Marco shouted.

"Well, I thought you'd be more happy to see me." Glossaryk said.

"Well-" Marco started. Star came to a realization, putting a finger on Marco's lips.

"Wait! Marco!...you can see him?" Star said. Marco removed her hand from his mouth.

"Yeah! I can see him! I wish I had a warning-" Marco said before Star placed her finger back on his lips. Marco made a straight face.

"...he's out of my head. Glossaryk's out of my head! WOO!" Star shouted with glee as Marco, once again, removed her finger from his lips. She immediately started dancing. Then, Star stopped. "Wait... _how_ are you out of my head?" Star wondered, turning her head to Glossaryk.

"Haven't you figured it out? I mean, I don't recall either of you being that oblivious." Glossaryk spoke.

"Wow. Rude!" Marco replied. Star looked down on the ground at the popsicles that the two of them just ate. She picked on one, observing it closely.

"Marco...didn't you say this looked…'familiar'...to you?" Star asked.

"Yeeeeeeaaaaah. Why?" Marco asked. Star looked at the yellow popsicle for a second before realizing what it was.

"It's...it's magic?" Star said quietly to herself.

"Did you just say it's-" Marco asked.

"She did." Glossaryk immediately responded.

"Wait a minute...that's why your hearts were glowing! They were like metal

detectors...only they were magic detectors!" Marco figured out.

"Ooooooooooh. _That's_ why you brought my hearts back!" Star said, excited that she's finally getting the answers she's been looking for.

"Yes." Glossaryk told her.

"And I'm guessing you, what? You used some of the magic to turn yourself from a figment of Star's thoughts into an actual living being outside of her head?" Marco asked.

"Exactly." Glossaryk replied.

"Everything's making sense now!" Star spoke.

"Didn't I say you would soon understand? Patience is a virtue, Star." Glossaryk spoke.

"Well, I have more questions, actually." Marco told them.

"Like?" Star asked.

"How did magic get into Janna's freezer?" Marco wondered. Star and Marco

peered their eyes to the living room.

"JANNA!" Star and Marco called loudly. Janna, Tom, and Ponyhead ran into the room in

a panic, seeing the kitchen a mess and Glossaryk floating next to Star and Marco.

"Glossaryk!" Tom and Ponyhead yelled.

"Suuuup." Janna exclaimed. Skywynne came from behind the three of them, astonished

to see Glossaryk here.

"Skywynne Butterfly." Glossaryk bowed.

"Why, hello Glossaryk." Skywynne said, curtsying to him. She observed her magic

mentor closely. "Hmm...I thought you would have aged. You look just the same as when I last saw you."

"Beauty sleep does miracles, your majesty." Glossaryk told her.

"Or you used magic to make yourself look younger?" Marco mentioned.

"I mean...wouldn't you?" Glossaryk asked him.

"Point taken." Marco responded.

"Enough with the face lifting voodoo guys. Janna?" Star spoke, walking to Janna. "Where. did you. get _this?_ " Star asked, holding one of the magic popsicles in front of her face.

"The lemonade or the stick?" Janna asked.

"The lemonade...except that it's _not_ lemonade, Janna. It's magic!" Star told her. Tom and Ponyhead gasped.

"You guys found the lost magic?" Tom said.

"Wait, wait...you guys ate the magic! Ew. Like, that's sick and wrong, okay?" Ponyhead added.

"Janna? Explain." Marco told her. Janna sighed, absolutely confused.

"Hey, I didn't know it was magic in the first place. I just found it in this jar…" Janna held up a jar with a shiny lid. "...in my hat right after I went into the realm of ma-..." Everyone started putting all the pieces of the puzzle together.

"Ooooooooohh." Star, Marco, Tom, Janna, and Ponyhead all said together.

"I'm a little lost." Skywynne told them.

"You stole some of the magic from the realm while you lost your memory! You had no idea you had it!" Marco said to Janna.

"Wait...you all have been to the realm of magic?" Skywynne asked. "I've heard stories about that place. What is it like there?"

"Gone." Tom told her. Skywynne slightly gasped.

"I'm sorry?" Skywynne asked.

"It was destroyed along with what I _thought_ was all the magic." Star told her, glancing at Janna.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? We all lost our minds in the realm of magic. You really think I could've stopped myself?" Janna told them.

"No, no, no! Janna! I'm not mad!" Star spoke. "You found what can get Skywynne home and possibly stop Mina and those men from taking over Earth-ni!"

"Although the thought of returning home is uplifting, I can't go home just yet. I'll still have to figure out a time travel spell to get me home." Skywynne mentioned.

"Yeah but you can still go home! Problem about 30% solved!" Star said.

"Why 30% exactly?" Tom asked.

"I don't know. It just sounded like a good number." Star shrugged.

"So wait, what happened while we were in the living room? Why did I hear Marco screaming in terror?" Janna asked.

"Now I'll ask you something. If you heard me, why didn't I hear any of you coming!?" Marco asked.

"I...I don't know what happened. I ate the popsicle and...then everything went black." Star took a second to speak again. "What _did_ happen, Marco?" Star asked him.

"It was weird. Your eyes glowed, you started floating, and...wait, Glossaryk!" Marco spoke, knowing for a fact Glossaryk knew what happened. They all turned to him, seeing Glossaryk in the fridge, looking for something to snack on.

"What kind of fridge doesn't have pudding?" Glossaryk mumbled to himself.

"Glossaryk!" Marco exclaimed. Glossaryk turned around, sighing so loud everyone could hear.

"Very well. If you _really_ must know. Star? Marco? You both now have magic inside of you." Glossaryk began to explain.

"...should I be concerned?" Marco asked.

"If you think that the magic will cause something like 3rd-degree burns in your internal organs, then no." Glossaryk told him.

"...why are you so specific, then?" Marco asked in a quiet voice.

"So okay, we now have magic inside of us. That doesn't completely explain why I glowed and floated though. Also, why didn't the same thing happen to Marco?" Star told him.

"There are two reasons why what happened to Star didn't happen to you." Glossaryk lifted his pointer finger. "One. You need royal mewman DNA. Two. You haven't _dipped dowwwwn_."

"I'm confused." Star stated.

"Perhaps I should explain this a bit differently. Star went through what is called 'magical regeneration'. The magic in the realm was destroyed. Now, you must remember that whoever is exposed to any magic has some magic within them afterward. Therefore, you, Marco, have some magic within you as well. Before you both ate those 'popsicles', your bodies contained dead magic." Glossaryk explained.

"Okay...and Marco didn't float and glow becauuse...?" Tom asked.

"If you let me continue...thank you. During magical regeneration, living magic touches dead magic. Thus, the dead magic rejuvenates into living magic. Howver, two factors must be in play. You must have royal mewman DNA, even if it is a trace of it. Also, you must have dipped down. Star has regenerated all of the magic lodged inside of her that was dead before. Yet, you, Marco, have both living magic...and dead magic. You aren't capable of bringing that dead magic back to life. You also aren't capable of using that slight amount of magic because there isn't enough of it within you to be able to conjure it." Glossaryk told him.

"That...makes sense actually." Marco spoke.

"So...I'm...magical again?" Star asked.

"Corrrrrect!" Glossaryk responded, rolling his r's. Star looked at her hands before holding one of them out. She took a deep breath.

"...narwhal blast!" Star spoke. Her hands glowed slightly. All of a sudden, a little blue narwhal came from the light. Its eyes looked to Star.

"Hi, Star!" The narwhal said in a high pitched voice.

"Woah. I mean, I've seen this happen so many times but...woah! You can do magic again!" Marco said.

"Girl! Your magic's back!?...now make my phone float. I can't take it anymore." Ponyhead told her.

"It's weird though. I don't remember my narwhal blast being that weak." Star said.

"Which brings me to another note. Even though you have gone through magical regeneration and your magic has been restored, you need to regain your skill with the magic due to the fact that you haven't used it for some time." Glossaryk told her.

"So I'm...a little rusty then?" Star asked.

"...isn't that what I just told you?" Glossaryk responded.

"Well, that explains your tiny narwhal." Tom mentioned.

"Hey! I might be tiny but I have a ton of pride!" The tiny narwhal said. Everyone stared at the narwhal blankly.

"Anyway…does this mean Star needs to practice her magic?" Marco asked.

"If she wants to be able to get back to the skill she had with magic before, then...yes." Glossaryk told him. Skywynne picked up a slightly melted 'magic' popsicle from the countertop. She observed it. Star noticed her looking at the frozen treat.

"Skywynne! You should eat it too! You'll get your magic back!" Star told her. Skywynne gulped in fear. She continued to stare at it, thinking if she should eat it or not. Thoughts raced, making her decision even more complicated. She immediately put the popsicle back on the counter.

"No...I can't." Skywynne said.

"Hey, look. I know Marco said it tastes awful but-" Star asked.

"It's not that. I just...I just can't. I um..." Skywynne started backing away. "I'll see you guys back at Marco's house." Skywynne quickly made her way out the door, away from Janna's house. Everyone watched as she left.

"I beg your pardon but Is she alright?" Glossaryk asked.

"...I don't know." Star told him, not being able to help but feel worried for her.

Meanwhile, a nearby ice cream truck was outside with a satellite dish on top of it. A man, sitting in front of a desk inside was observing live video footage on a dozen television screens on the wall of the van. He watched as Skywynne walked out of the house. He lightly placed a hand on his earpiece in his left ear.

"Codename Sky is visible. Should I take pursuit, mam?" The man asked through the earpiece.

"Did you not listen to a word I told you?!" Mina exclaimed.

"I mean, yes but-" The mad started.

"Stick to your duties! A soldier does not deviate from their given assignment! Is that clear?"

"Oh um...yes, mam. Sorry, mam." The man responded. A message saying _Voice Detected_ came up on one of the television screens. The man looked down at his keyboard sitting on the tabletop, beginning to press a few keys. He took a headset from the table and placed it on his head, listening closely.

"I just can't believe Janna's had the magic this whole time!" Marco spoke. The man in the van gasped. He took off the headset and took a hand to his earpiece.

"Target has been found, mam." The man said to Mina.

"Finally! I knew it was still alive! There is no way you can kill every magic in existence! Now, we can finally enact phase B! Good work, soldier. Now, come back to base. Time to put the next part of our plan into action." Mina spoke before the man in the driver's seat of the van drove off.

"I'll be right back." Star told her friends before running out of the door. She quickly made her way outside to Skywynne.

"Hey! Skywynne!" Star called out. Skywynne stopped and turned, seeing Star running to her. Star stopped in front of her. "What's going on?" Star asked her, slightly out of breath. Skywynne looked over to her side. "Skywynne?" Skywynne took a deep breath.

"I'm just afraid to have magic again after I-...um…" Skywynne said.

"Messed up the time travel spell?" Star asked. Skywynne sadly nodded her head.

"It's that obvious, huh?" Skywynne spoke. "Listen. I do realize that it's crucial that I take in that magic to be able to get back home and fix time but-...but I worry that I'll mess up again and…" Skywynne hesitated before letting out a breath, feeling ashamed she couldn't brave it.

"Look. You don't have to take in any of that magic right now. Whenever you're ready, okay?" Star told her. Skywynne looked up, seeing Star giving her a hopeful look. Skywynne smiled back.

"Okay." Skywynne replied.

* * *

The next afternoon, Marco and Glossaryk began helping Star with her 'magic tutoring' at the Diaz residence. They stood outside in the backyard so they could have a good bit of space, just in case something went wrong.

"Now, the way you'll regain your skill with magic is with _practice_." Glossaryk said.

"Like I didn't have enough of that back on Mew-" Star sarcastically said, rolling her eyes.

"Star!" Marco said.

"Fiiiiiine." Star said. "You're right. I'm doing this for Skywynne and Earthni. I need to focus."

"Now, Skywynne? The wand, if you please." Glossaryk said. Skywynne came from behind Star and Marco, holding her wand in her hands. She held it out to Star. Star slowly reached out to grab it, feeling a bit hesitant to take it. Marco watched as she was a little scared to hold it.

"Hey uh...can I talk to Star for a second?" Marco asked. Glossaryk nodded before he took Star a few feet away from Glossaryk and Skywynne to talk to her. "You okay?" He asked her. She took a big sigh.

"I'm just recalling how that wand and all this magic's gotten me into so much trouble. Ludo...Toffee...Mina...I guess I'm just scared of all of that starting up again." Star told him.

"Star, you weren't responsible for all of that. Plus, you are the only one that has magic...and me but...you know, I can't use it so...it's just stuck...right here." Marco told her, pointing to his stomach. Star looked to her side, unsure of what to think. "Remember how many times you've saved others with that thing? Think positive, remember? You're doing this to bring Skywynne back home and to protect Earth-ni." Marco told her. Star looked back at him, feeling a smidge of confidence within her.

"You're right." Star said before giving Marco a hug. "You always know how to turn my frown upside down." Marco gladly accepted the hug. Glossaryk closely observed their behavior.

"That's why I'm here." Marco said before they both let go. "Now, go get that wand." Star turned to Glossaryk and Skywynne, walking to them. She took a breath before reaching a hand out, grabbing the wand. However, nothing happened to it.

"Wha? Isn't it supposed to do the...you know...swirly, twinkly, magical morphing...thing?" Star asked.

"What do you think, Star?" Glossaryk told her.

"How should I know!?" Star asked, confused.

"Remember how I mentioned that you and Marco are the only ones that possess magic?" Glossaryk asked them.

"Yeaah. So?" Marco asked.

"Listen to me closely. Only you…" Glossaryk pointed to Star. "...and you..." He pointed to Marco. "...possess magic." Star thought about what Glossaryk told her before realizing what he meant.

"Wait. You said that magic doesn't disappear. It dies." Star looked closely at the wand. She came to a realization. It's not the wand that's the problem. It's the magic inside it. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Star suddenly started to glow, just like she did at Janna's house.

"Okay, it's happening again!" Marco stood back. The wand started to glow, just like Star. Twinkles of magic started to swirl around the wand before it flashed, transforming it into a completely different wand. However, this wasn't a wand that Star's ever seen before. It was somewhat like her last wand...well, more like an upgrade from the last one she had. The wings were even more extravagant than her last wand. The horns of the wand were now purple, like the ones she wears with her new green dress. Short pink ribbons hung from the bottom of the centerpiece. The crystal in the middle was still amberized starglass like the last wand she had. However, the charge port at the bottom of the handle was now made of starlight quartz.

"Woah." Star said as she looked at her new wand.

"Another new wand?" Marco spoke, surprised but yet amazed at the new design Star's wand had.

"What do you mean by 'another' new wand?" Skywynne asked.

"This is the fourth time the design of her wand's changed." Marco told her.

"Yeah. This is like...wand 4.0." Star said.

"Well, I...I didn't think it was possible to have more than one design for a wand." Skywynne said.

"Believe me. It's possible." Marco told her.

"Okay. New wand. New magic..." Star said, getting ready for her magic tutoring. She shook all the fear out of her, preparing herself for what's to come. "Let's do this."

"Good. Now, the reason you have been given the wand is to learn how to control your magic once again." Glossaryk told her.

"Is that why Star's magic was so small while we were at Janna's house?" Skywynne asked.

"Exactly. Star? You need to take the newly found magic inside you and learn how to fully expel it instead of using it in small doses." Glossaryk said.

"Okay, this makes no sense. I've used magic before. Why do I need to learn it all over again?" Star asked.

"There are two reasons. One; it's been a long while since you've used magic. Magic is...well honestly, magic is like a flower." Glossaryk made a flower appear next to him. "Flowers need water to stay alive and healthy. This, in a way, is like magic. However, instead of water, magic needs usage from the bearer. If you don't use your magic often, the magic will begin to become uncooperative. The longer you refrain from using the magic, the harder it will be to use it again afterward."

"And the second reason?" Marco asked.

"This magic is new to your body. Some of the magic within the both of you is from the realm of magic, which means that you both have the purest magic any living being could possess. The magic you both possess is very delicate. It is harder to control and more difficult to use. Thus, you, Star, will need to learn how to wield it correctly. The wand is a tool to make this a bit easier to do. Once you've mastered the magic with the wand, we will move on to using magic without it."

"Ooooookayyy." Star said. "So...does that mean I'll need to learn to-" Star asked.

"Dip down again? Yes." Glossaryk said.

"Wait, wait. When Star dipped down for the first time, she literally stripped Toffee of all flesh and bone." Marco spoke.

"May I ask who Toffee is? Also...what sort of name is 'Toffee'?" Skywynne asked, chuckling at the name a bit.

"Oh, he was an evil septarian bent on killing all the Butterfly family and taking over Mewni for all monsterkind." Marco told her.

"Ah…soooo he doesn't work at a candy store?" Skywynne asked.

"Nope." Star told him.

"Anyway, will that happen again? You know, the uh...flesh...stripping? Because I like my body the way it is, thanks." Marco asked, fearful for his life.

"No." Glossaryk said.

"...yeah, okay." Marco said, backing up slightly out of caution.

"Now, Star, I want you to hold your wand out and spread your feet shoulder-width apart." Glossaryk told her.

"Uh...okay?" Star said anxiously as she did what she was told.

"Now, see this apple?" Glossaryk asked, making an apple appear beside him.

"Oh great. The apple's back." Star said.

"Star? You may want to listen to Glossaryk." Skywynne said. Star let out a breath.

"Yes. I see it...I seriously hate that apple." Star mumbled under her breath.

"Good. What I would like you to do is focus your magic on this single apple. Imagine the magic flowing through you, making its way from your hand, to the wand and out towards the apple. " Glossaryk told her.

"Ooookay?" Star replied. Her eyes peered at the apple. She tried to concentrate. She attempted to picture the magic coming out. Marco and Glossaryk watched her try her best to cast a magic spell on that fruit. However, nothing was happening. She grunted and groaned before giving up.

"Why isn't the magic doing it's...magic...stuff! Gah!" Star wondered.

"Star. It's okay. It just takes practice." Marco said as he put a hand on her shoulder. She took her hand and put it on top of Marco's Glossaryk watched the two of them converse. It gave him an idea.

"Maybe we should take a different approach to your problem." Glossaryk told them as he snapped his fingers, making the apple disappear. "Marco? Step over here for me, please." Marco's eyes widened.

"...whyyyy?" Marco asked, a bit scared.

"I can assure you, Marco. You will be completely safe." Glossaryk told him.

"Uh...okay." Marco replied, hesitantly walking over to Glossaryk. Marco turned his body so he was facing Star.

"Now, let's say Marco here...is in danger." Glossaryk spoke.

"Hey! You said I was completely sa-" Marco stared.

"Let's say...a ravenous beast was about to eat him alive." Glossaryk added. He snapped his fingers, making an enraged bear-like creature as tall as Marco's house appear next to him. Marco turned, seeing the monster towering over him.

"AHHHHHHH!" Marco screamed, cowering in fear. Star and Skywynne gasped.

"What...is...that?!" Skywynne asked loudly.

"Marco!" Star focused her wand, concentrating long and hard on the magic within. She took a deep breath. "Dip down. Dip down. Dip down." She repeated to herself slowly. She could feel herself becoming more powerful as a weird feeling flowed through her. She got into position. Her wand was at the ready. "Illuminating Indestructible Bath Bubble!" Star shouted. The wand suddenly shot a glowing ball in front of Marco. The ball expanded, surrounding Marco, creating some sort of a force field. The creature tried to break through the bubble. However, it wouldn't crack even a little. Marco started to come out of his cowering pose, realizing that the bubble was protecting him. He gasped with overwhelming joy.

"Oh...oh thank goodness!" Marco spoke with relief, releasing his breath.

"Glossaryk! What's wrong with you! You-" Star started.

"I helped you use your magic? Is that what you were about to say?" Glossaryk said with a smirk.

"Wait...wha...I…" Star spoke.

"Star! You did it! You used your magic! You dipped!" Skywynne exclaimed.

"But I-" Star spoke. "...but you could have told me Marco was about to be eaten by a ravenous beast!" She said to Glossaryk.

"I can assure you. Marco wouldn't have been eaten. I was just curious." Glossaryk told her.

"Curious about what exactly? How long I could last with that thing?!" Marco asked, pointing at the towering creature. Glossaryk snapped his fingers, making the creature and the bubble force field disappear. He turned to Star.

"I was curious as to how the safety of someone you love and care for affects your use of magic. It reveals that seeing your loved ones in danger makes your magic stronger as well as your sense of focus in terms of using it." Glossaryk told them.

"So you're saying that emotion makes it easier for Star to do magic?" Marco asked.

"Precisely." Glossaryk asked.

"Well, if that's the case, I don't want to be put through that again!" Marco told him.

"Marco! Shh! Focusing!" Star told him. Marco stood there, dumbfounded.

"Now that you have officially dipped down, you may have the ability to use your magic more easily. I attempted to awaken the magic within you just enough so that you would be able to use it with a little more ease. Now…" Glossaryk spoke. He snapped his fingers, making about a dozen apples appear around the backyard. "Would you like to test it out?" Star grew determined. Even though she still despised those apples, she was ready to test her magic out. She aimed her wand at one of the apples.

"...cupcake blast!" Star shouted. Dozens of cupcakes came out of the wand, attacking the apple, destroying it. Star smiled. "It's working!" She turned to another apple.

"Strawberry annihilation!" Star yelled. Another spell destroyed another apple. She continued to shout out spells while Glossaryk made more apples appear.

"Dagger Crystal Heart Attack! Radical Rainbow Blast! Rainbow Fist Punch!" Star exclaimed. She was happy to have her magic back. She destroyed the magic only because there were others that couldn't be trusted with it. Now that Star was the only one that could use it, she felt as if things could still be safer, even though magic is technically back. If Marco was able to use the magic though, Star would still feel comfortable with it. She trusted Marco with magic most of all. Spell after spell, Star would destroy an apple; one after another. Star felt as if she was back to her old magical self again. She was ready to push the limits; break down boundaries.

That was...until her mother and Eclipsa came to the backyard.

Moon saw Star holding a magic wand…

...and Glossaryk...

...and Skywynne standing right near her.

"Mom?!" Star exclaimed with her eyes wide.

"Oh no." Marco added. He just remembered how he didn't tell Moon about Skywynne. He hoped he wouldn't be going to the deep end for this. He remembered then and there how he kept Skywynne a secret from Moon. He really hoped that he wouldn't be going into the deep end for this.

"How...how did you get here?!" Star asked.

"I might have...um...shown her the way?" Eclipsa replied with a guilty smile.

"Star...how are you...how is he...and is that-" Moon spoke, pointing to Skywynne as her hand shook.

"Oh...pfft...noooo! That's uh...she's uh...she's…" Star tried to think of a cover-up fast. She just had to come up with one little excuse. However, Star remembered one thing. Her mom's read the book of spells. She knows who Skywynne looks like. There is no possible way to convince her otherwise. Star sighed. "Mom...Skywynne. Skywynne...mom." Star said, disappointed. Skywynne stood there, wondering if this situation was good or bad.

"Um...pleasure to...meet you?" Skywynne said as she nervously bowed. Moon's eyes were wide.

"Nice to meet you." Moon said in shock. "Star? Would you like to explain what in the world is going on?!" Moon asked in a panic. Star sighed.

"...I...I didn't-" Star stuttered. Skywynne noticed that her mom thought her daughter did wrong. She knew that it wasn't right for Star to get in trouble for this. Skywynne raised a hand slightly.

"If I may…" Skywynne said, stepping in for Star. "Yes, I am Skywynne. I am one of your ancestors from over 400 years ago. However, I have to inform you that your daughter had nothing to do with this." Skywynne told her. Moon, still in complete confusion, scratched her head.

"But...how are you here? You...you died hundreds of years ago…" Moon spoke. Skywynne had chills crawling up her spine hearing the fact that she 'died'. Still, everyone dies in the end. Skywynne turned to Star. Star nodded, hinting that it was okay to tell her what was going on.

"...I was in the middle of creating a time travel spell. It was only meant to send an apple to another time but...instead it...it sent me here...to your time period." Skywynne said.

"But...you couldn't have possibly-" Moon started.

"I came to this time period right before the magic was destroyed and before Earth and Mewni became one. I have no way home. Well...actually, I might possibly have a way home now." Skywynne said, turning her head to Star holding the magic wand.

"It's true, mom." Star said, stepping forward.

"So...she really is here. I thought when I was told I-" Moon started.

"Wait, you already knew? Who told you that!?" Star asked. Moon held her breath, realizing what she just blurted out wasn't the best thing to say.

"I did." Marco said. Star was shocked. "Star, listen. I know you didn't want me to say too much but she had to know why your hearts came back. I can't lie to her, you know." Marco told her. "...are you mad?" Star had to think to herself for a minute. Marco was only doing what was best for Star. She had to remember that. Did Marco really do anything wrong here?

"I realize that...you did it to help me and keep me safe. Besides, when I think about it...it's...kind of wrong to keep secrets from my mother. I don't know why I thought of doing that in the first place so...it's okay, Marco." Star told him with a reassuring smile. "Look, mom? I too am...um…" Star hesitated. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Skywynne. I thought that...if you knew, you would go completely nuts and-...and…" Star told her mother. Moon took her hands and put them on her daughter's shoulders.

"Star? No matter what the case may be, I'm here to help you and stand by your side. Whether it be magic or a disagreement or...or even a former queen trapped in our time, you can come to me." Moon told her.

"R-...really?" Star asked. Moon nodded with a soft, reassuring smile. Star couldn't believe how her Mom was reacting to this. She was expecting far worse. It gave her such a sense of relief that she felt a tear come down her face. She looked down, hiding her face a bit.

"So...so you're not mad? Because I just want to be the best person I can be and...and hiding things from you wasn't the right thing to do and-...?" Star asked. Moon took her hand under Star's chin, lifting her head up.

"Oh, Star. I may be your mother but...sweetie. I _want_ to help you." Moon replied. "You shouldn't have to hide anything from anybody, especially your family. The reason you have a family is to have someone to support you and...and help you in times of need. I want you to trust me with anything you struggle with." She took her daughter in a hug. "I love you so much, dear." Star gasped as she felt her mother's arms wrap around her. She felt even more tears coming, grabbing Moon even tighter. Star never realized until now that keeping these secrets from her mother was driving her insane. Now, she felt as if she didn't have to hide anything anymore. She finally felt as if she could have a clean slate; never hiding any more secrets from her.

"Thank you, mom." Star said as she and her mom embraced. Marco, Skywynne, and Eclipsa watched as they hugged, smiling from the moment. Glossaryk, however, tapped Star's shoulder. They both let go.

"Pardon me but shouldn't you tell your mother about Mina?" Glossaryk asked.

"Way to ruin the mother-daughter moment, Glossaryk!" Marco spoke.

"No, no. Glossaryk's right." Star sniffled, taking a breath. "Mom?" Star spoke.

"What is it? What about Mina?" Moon asked.

"...she's back." Star told her.


	25. Sharing is Caring

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 25: Sharing is Caring**

Star and the gang explained everything that they've been told about Mina and the men who are in leagues with her. Moon and Eclipsa felt a sense of fear within them. Mina was extremely powerful the last time she tried to take over Mewni. There was no telling what she could be capable of now with these strange men by her side, especially not knowing who these men were. Moon made sure to pay close attention, considering what Mina attempted back on Mewni.

"So Mina, according to Manfred, is working with these mysterious men so that they can enact revenge on Skywynne after a gravity spell took their ancestors away from Earthni?" Moon asked, just to clarify.

"Yup." Star responded.

"And you believe she is out to possibly steal the magic you now possess within you?" Eclipsa added, pointing to Star.

"Yeah. And that's not all of it. There's more of the magic back in the house." Marco said. Moon let out a sigh, feeling a bit of distress from the thought of Mina's crazy schemes again.

"What do you plan on doing with it?" Moon asked.

"Well, keeping it away from Mina for one thing, obviously." Star said.

"I have a little tidbit of a question. Have you considered...you know... _distributing_ to the magic?" Eclipsa asked.

"Yup. Skywynne needs it to go back to her time so...yeah." Star said, gesturing her hand to Skywynne. Skywynne shyly smiled and waved.

"Well, yes but what we mean is...giving some of that magic to us." Eclipsa asked.

"Huh?" Star spoke.

"Listen to me, Star. Mina is powerful, with or without magic. There is no way you can stand against her alone, nor will I let you do this alone. You could use our help." Moon told Star.

"She's right, Star. Giving us the magic gives us a greater chance of defeating Mina and preventing her from enacting her plans." Eclipsa told her. Star looked away, contemplating what they were telling her. Star was already comfortable with only Marco and herself possessing magic. Did she really want to give it to anyone else? She knew she had to give Skywynne magic. If she didn't have magic when she goes back to her own time, that would change everything in the time stream. Plus, what if she needed the magic to get back to her own time, to begin with?

Could Star trust anyone else with magic though? Eclipsa? Yeah, she was pretty trustworthy with the magic in Star's opinion. She's saved Star a number of times. Her mother though? Star was very reluctant on giving any magic to her. The reason she destroyed it in the first place was that she wasn't able to trust others with it, especially after what her mother did by giving it to Mina and her devoted followers. Did Star really want to give the one person who went behind her daughter's back, forcing Eclipsa to step down and help Mina enact her plan of taking over her home, the power of magic? Star felt as if the only two people she could ever trust with magic were herself and Marco. She had no choice but to trust Skywynne. The question now remains.

Will she give them or anyone else the magic?

"...no." Star said flat out.

"I beg your pardon?" Moon spoke.

"No one else is getting any of the magic." Star replied.

"Uh...Star?" Marco said.

"I think you're making a mista-" Eclipsa started before Star held a hand up, silencing her.

"...my decision is final." Star proclaimed. She took a breath, about to speak before letting it out in frustration. "Excuse me." Star added, walking past Eclipsa and her mother and into the Diaz house. Everyone watched as she walked away.

"Dramaaaaa." Glossayrk spoke with attitude.

"Really, Glossaryk!?" Marco exclaimed. He knew this wasn't anything like Star. Something was up. Marco sighed. "Let me go talk to her." Marco said before walking towards the house.

Marco walked into the kitchen, seeing Star angrily chowing down on a box of Sugar Seeds. She stopped chewing the cereal and looked inside the box. She grumbled.

"Not enough sugar." Star said before grabbing a container of sugar, pouring it into the cereal box.

"Star? What's going on?" Marco asked.

"Okay, what makes you think something's going on? There is _nothing_ going on." Star nervously chuckled. Marco cleared his throat.

"Exhibit A?" Marco said, pointing at the sugar seeds that had a mountain of sugar so big on top of it, it was overflowing out of the box. Sugar kept pouring out of the container in her other hand. Star looked down at the cereal before her eyes went wide. She immediately brought the container of sugar upright again, gently placing it on the kitchen counter.

"Star? I know you. You always gorge on sugar seeds when you're upset. You might as well come out and say it." Marco said bluntly. Star took the box of sugar seeds and placed it on the counter next to the sugar, frowning. She breathed in.

"Marco? I...I can't trust anyone else but the three of us with magic." Star said.

"What? Why? I feel like they could really help us if they had-." Marco spoke.

"Come on, Marco! You've seen what trouble it caused back on Mewni! My own mother went behind my back and put Mewni and everyone on it in danger by granting magic to Mina! Why can't I be so sure it won't happen again?" Star said before making her way to the living room. She sat on the sofa with her arms crossed. Marco followed her into the living room.

"Star, listen. I know your mom was wrong to give Mina the magic but...have you thought about _why_ she did what she did?" Marco asked.

"Well, duh. It was because she wanted to take control of Mewni again. She didn't like the way Mewni was and she wanted her old life back. It's how she always is. It's her way or...I don't know! For her, there's no 'or'!" Star said. Marco shook her head.

"I think you got it all wrong." Marco replied.

"Uh-huh. Sure. Okay; says someone who _didn't_ live with her for most of her life. Yeah."

Star told him before letting out a breath.

"Okay, Star? You and your mom just had a heart to heart moment a few minutes ago. You were crying, Star; _crying_. You were so happy to know that you could come to your mom for anything. I mean…what happened to that?" Star wrapped her arms around herself, trying her hardest to doubt everything Marco was telling her. Sure, Star loved her mom to bits. The fact that Moon went behind her back and gave magic to the enemy made Star's blood boil. Marco could see the sheer denial in Star's face. He really wanted to help her see the light and know her mother's true intentions.

"Look. You don't have to listen to me but...have you ever tried seeing things a little differently? Maybe it's time to show your mom a little forgiveness." Marco said.

"Forgiveness? Forgiveness?! She never forgave me for the things I've done with magic. Why should I forgive her? Why should I change my mind about what she did!?" Star asked him, fueled with anger.

"I would listen to him, Star." Moon said, coming into the living room. Star and Marco jumped and turned their heads, hearing her voice before seeing her standing in the room.

"Look at that. She's eavesdropping now. That's mature." Star said in annoyance before turning back around, facing away from her mother.

"Star, I know that you are a bit crossed with me but...please. Can I explain myself?" Moon asked. Star turned her head slightly to look at Moon again. She motioned her hand towards a chair sitting next to the sofa, looking down at the ground. Star and Marco watched as Moon made her way to the chair. Moon sat down slowly, taking a breath.

"I understand that you think that what I did was for control and power." Moon started.

"Yeah. Yeah I do. Why wouldn't I? That's how you've always been. You've been like that with me for years; wanting me to be 'composed' and 'proper' like a 'true queen'. It's a fair assumption." Star spoke. Moon looked down in sadness. Hearing her daughter say that all she sees in her is selfishness and greed is nothing to be proud of. Marco decided to stay silent and let them talk it out.

"I know I should've informed you about it because you were just as much as involved as everyone else but...I couldn't risk your safety. I wasn't even considering my own needs when I gave the magic to Mina." Moon told Star. Star lifted her head up to look at her mother. "That day when...when Toffee almost ended your life...I came to a realization. I wasn't protecting my family as much as I should have. I've already lost my mother to Toffee. I wasn't prepared to lose anyone else, whether it be your father or you. I had to do something, even if it meant something I wasn't too fond of doing, like forcing Eclipsa to step down or giving Mina the power of the magic."

Star was speechless. She didn't expect to hear something like this from her mom out of all people. Her mom has always been so strict and firm with her and how to conduct herself as a princess of Mewni. Star never took the time to think that her mother was not doing it for her own needs, but for the protection and love of her daughter. She felt awful, mistaking her mother's motives as selfish acts instead of actions of love of care. Star couldn't have been more wrong.

Marco was right. She wasn't able to see past what her mother did to actually see _why_ her mother did it. Star held such a grudge over all of this that she wasn't forgiving at all. It was almost like how the mewmans were with Eclipsa; knowing she abandoned the throne because she was in love with a monster, knowing that it was all out of good intentions. Star felt ashamed and incredibly guilty.

"If you don't want to give me any of the magic, I'll accept that. Just know that everything I tried to do...and everything I did wasn't for myself or my own desires. It was for my family." Moon gently placed her hand on her knee. "It was for you."

Star's emotions took hold. She was blind to the truth and it took Star this long to realize it. She got up, grabbing her mother in a hug.

"I'm sorry, Mom." Star said.

"No, Star. I'm sorry for not telling you about it before I did it. We both made mistakes." Moon told her.

"And we're both forgiven?" Star asked.

"Of course." Moon replied. Marco watched as Star and her mom had another mother-daughter moment.

"Awwww." Marco spoke without realizing it. Star and Moon looked at Marco with raised eyebrows. Marco froze, clearing his throat as he pulled the collar of his shirt nervously. "Sorry." Star let go a minute after.

"Oh, by the way, I know that you did what you did to help but...just promise me that you'll let me know if you plan on giving your magic to an evildoer bent on taking over our home, okay? Actually, tell me _anything_ that you plan to do with the magic other than...you know...harmless little spells?"

"You've got yourself a deal." Moon told her. "Oh, sweetie. If I ever hurt you or scared you, understand I didn't mean anything by it. I'm only doing what is best for you...like my mother taught me." She told her daughter. Star smiled.

"Yeah. I guess you're right." Star looked over to her right before looking back at her

mother. "Thanks."

"It's what mothers are around for." Moon spoke before standing up. "Now, I think everyone outside could use our company." She began to walk over to the kitchen to go out the back door before stopping, turning her head. "Lots of love, Star. Remember that." Moon smiled before blowing a kiss. Star reciprocated, pretending to catch the kiss in her hands.

"Love you too, mom." Star said as she watched her mother walk outside. Star stood up before Marco did the same, stretching his back.

"Well, now that all that's settled, how about we-" Marco started before he felt a tug. Marco stopped in his tracks, turning his head to Star, who was holding his arm.

"Wait. Before we go back out, I...I have to talk to you about something." Star told him.

"Oh! Uh...okay. What's up?" Marco asked. Star hesitated before speaking. She let out a breath.

"Remember when Skywynne accidentally dropped her bag...and all those papers dumped out of it?" Star asked.

"Yeeeaaahh. Why?" Marco asked.

"Well…" Star said before reaching in her overalls pocket, taking a folded piece of paper out of it. Marco gasped.

"Star! That's stealing!" Marco told her.

"You'll understand why I took it once you read what's on it." Star said, reaching it out to him. Marco hesitantly took it in his hands, a little afraid as he began to read what was on the paper. The words he read...sounded very familiar to him.

"...I call a spell which...has no name. My strongest spell with...with which I reign?" Marco's eyes went wide. "Star, this is-"

"The spell with no name…yeah." Star responded.

"Wait, hold on. I'm confused. I thought Eclipsa got this spell from her Solaria." Marco said, pointing at the paper.

"Well, I guess Solaria got it from _her_ mom." Star said.

"Star? You told me about this spell and how powerful it is. This could wipe out all of Earthni if she uses it!" Marco spoke.

"I know." Star said calmly.

"We...we have to hide this somewhere! She _can't_ use this spell! We have to make it so it was never written!" Marco said, frantically looking around for a place to hide the paper. Marco felt a sudden touch on his shoulder.

"We can't do that, Marco." Star said.

"What?" Marco spoke.

"Eclipsa used that spell to save my life. If Skywynne never remembers that spell, I would...you know." Star told him before she made her right hand in a fist, pounding it into the palm of her left hand, pretending to stomp or squish something.

"Oh." Marco replied, slightly mortified.

"Yup. Taking the spell away means...taking my life away. You have to remember, Marco. We _can't_ mess with past events, especially something involving this." Star told him, taking the piece of paper from him. Marco glanced at the piece of paper. Fear began to consume him.

"...what do we do?" Marco asked.

"The only thing we can do; make sure Skywynne _doesn't_ use this spell while she's here in our time. We do whatever we can to prevent it from happening. Once she's back in her time, she can use it to her heart's content." Star told him. "The only thing I can't decide is whether to hold onto this or put it back in Skywynne's bag." Star pondered, staring at the piece of paper.

"I mean, if you held onto it, Skywynne wouldn't remember it as well as she would with it. You could always put it back once we figure out how to bring her back to her own time." Marco spoke.

"True. True, true, true…" Star said over and over, pacing back and forth, deciding what to do. "Okay, we'll hold onto this. Maybe she uh...won't remember." Star shrugged.

"Hopefully." Marco added.

"Yeah...hopefully." Star said. She went over to a tile on the kitchen floor, lifting it up with a grunt. A little square compartment was revealed. Marco was in shock.

"Star!" Marco exclaimed, thinking that Star was destroying the kitchen.

"Relaaax. I'm just getting this." Star said as she reached into the compartment, bringing out the magic, now contained in the jar Janna had it in before. "Hey, bring me over some paper cups, will you?" Marco nodded at her.

"Well, glad to see you've changed your mind about the magic." Marco told her as he smiled at her. He went over to one of the cabinets, grabbing three paper cups. "Soooo were you going to tell me that you made a little secret compartment in our kitchen floor?" Marco asked as he walked back over to her.

"Oh...uh...yes!" Star said as her voice cracked. Marco gave her a straight face.

"Staaaar?" Marco spoke. Star tried resisting but failed. She groaned.

"Fiiiine. This was in case you took the sugar seeds away from me again." Star told him as she put the tile back in place.

"...you made a secret compartment…for hiding sugar from me?" Marco asked.

"Oh come on, Diaz...can you really blame me?" Star asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, true. Why am I surprised?" Marco chuckled.

"Besides, we need a place to hide this. We can't let anyone else get their hands on it." Star told him. She let out a breath. "Alright. Let's go."

Star and Marco walked over to the back door, out of the house and into the backyard. Everyone outside turned their heads, seeing Star and Marco make their way towards them. Marco was holding three paper cups while Star held the jar of magic. Moon and Eclipsa both stared at it in awe. Sure. They knew that magic was still alive and that it has been found. However, they still had a little smidgen of doubt in their minds. Seeing it in front of their very eyes was something to behold. Star first took the time to apologize for her recent behavior before doing anything else.

"Look. Um...sorry for...being so...you know." Star told them. "I was _way_ in over my head to-"

"It's okay, Star. We all knew what you've been going through so...we understand why you were feeling that way." Eclipsa responded.

"Thanks. Well, everyone? Grab a cup." Star told Moon, Eclipsa, and Skywynne. The three of them walked towards Marco, grabbing a cup from him. Star felt a twinge of fear when Skywynne took a cup in her hand. All that flooded Star's mind was the thought of The Spell with No Name. She and Marco had to do whatever it took for her not to use that spell, no matter what the circumstances were. Star had no choice though. Skywynne had to consume some of that magic if she wanted to go home. Once Moon, Eclipse, and Star were ready, Star opened the lid to the jar, pouring a very slight bit of magic into each cup.

"So we have to...drink it?" Eclipsa asked.

"Yup." Star said.

"I...um...do we have to?" Eclipsa added.

"You have two choices; either drink it or not get any magic back at all." Glossaryk told them.

"Well...if that's the only way." Eclipsa responded nervously.

"Before you drink this, I should probably warn you that it tastes _super_ gross." Star told them. Skywynne, Moon, and Eclipsa, all stared at it with disgust.

"Wonderful." Moon spoke.

"Yeah. It tastes like...sweaty socks and...and sewer water." Marco told them. Everyone cringed at the thought.

"Anyway, drink up!" Star said confidently. The three stared at the magic, a little scared of how it was going to taste, now that they heard how awful it is.

"Well, it's all for a good cause so...bottoms up?" Moon spoke.

"If we must." Skywynne replied as she, Moon, and Eclipsa clinked their cups together, drinking the magic. They all brought their palms to their mouths, trying their best not to get sick from the taste.

"Hey uh, Star?" Marco asked.

"What's up?" Star asked.

"Should we have maybe had them drink it one at a time?" Marco asked nervously, biting his lip

"Why do you say that?" Star asked. Suddenly, Moon's, Eclipsa's, and Skywynne's eyes began to glow.

"That's why." Marco said, pointing to the three of them.

"You couldn't have mentioned this any sooner?" Star asked.

"I was distracted!" Marco said before Moon's, Eclipsa's, and Skywynne's bodies glowed as they floated in the air.

"Woah. So that's what I did?" Star asked, pointing to them.

"Yeah." Marco said. Objects from the backyard began to lift off the ground. "...aaaand that too."

"Cooooooool." Suddenly, Star and Marco felt themselves being lifted off the ground.

"You didn't do this though!" Marco asked.

"Ah! Oh oh okay! Why are _we_ floating?!" Star asked in a panic.

"It's the magic regenerating within them. It's quite a powerful process." Glossaryk told them.

"YOU THINK?!" Marco exclaimed. He suddenly heard the groaning of wood and metal. He turned himself around, hearing the house starting to creak. "Oh no no no no no."

"What?" Star asked.

"If they don't finish their magic regeneration soon, the whole house is going to float away!" Marco shouted. Star turned to look at Moon, Eclipsa, and Skywynne, still in their magical regenerative stages.

Moon's diamond cheeks appeared.

Eclipsa's spade marks appeared.

Skywynne's hourglass cheekmarks appeared.

"Come on, come on, come on. Hurry up already!" Star said to herself. Marco went over to the house and grabbed it, thinking he could keep it down to the ground. Star turned her head to Marco.

"You really think that's going to save your house?" Star asked.

"I don't know!" Marco said. "I'm just glad Mariposa and my parents are out in town!"

"Glossaryk! How long does this take!?" Star asked. Glossaryk revealed a watch, watching it closely.

"Mmmm…" He hummed as he stroked his beard. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnndddddd…" He pointed his finger in the air.

"Glossaryk!" Star and Marco shouted.

"…done." Glossaryk spoke as he pointed to Moon, Eclipsa and Skywynne. Star and Marco turned their heads to them, who suddenly started to dim and float back to the ground, along with Star, Marco, Marco's house and all the objects around them.

"Yes!" Marco exclaimed in happiness, realizing that everything was going back to normal. Everything and everyone was back down on the ground, including Moon, Eclipsa, and Skywynne, who were all lying on the ground, coming back to. Star and Marco ran to them.

"Are you guys okay?" Marco asked. They all lifted their heads.

"Hmm...oh. I'm...fine." Moon spoke, holding her forehead.

"Except for the fact that...it felt like I was hit by a boulder but-" Eclipsa spoke.

"Ohhhh that's how I felt." Star said.

"So...we have magic again?" Skywynne asked.

"Uh-huh. _But_ you'll need to learn to wield it again." Star told them.

"Yeah. Your bodies have to readjust to the new magic you have. Star had to do the same thing." Marco told them.

"Yup. It's magic in its purest form since it's from the realm. So…" Star took out her wand from behind her, holding it across her body with both hands. "Who's first?" She asked with a smirk.

* * *

A while after Moon, Eclipsa, and Skywynne worked on regaining their magical abilities with Glossaryk's help, night time had finally arrived. The day felt long; so long that Star, Marco, and Skywynne all decided to go to bed early. It was 8 PM and they were absolutely beat. The past few days have definitely been eventful for them. They were ready to take a long snooze. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep. Glossaryk was still awake, watching a cooking show on Marco's laptop while eating a pudding cup.

"They call that a pie? I've seen better." Glossaryk reacted as he ate a spoonful of pudding. He started smelled something a little funny in the air. He looked up, seeing a pink-colored gas around him. "Hm…" He hummed. Glossaryk began to get sleepy until suddenly…

Everything went black.

He woke up slowly, trying his best to observe his surroundings in his slight state of consciousness. Once he was a little more conscious, he was able to see that he was surrounded by a type of clear glass. That's when Glossaryk realized that he was trapped in some sort of container, floating in the air in a dark room. A ceiling light shone above him, almost like he was in an interrogation room. He took his hand and knocked on the container wall.

"A crystal box formulated from the same material as Rhombulus' crystal, made so that no magic can penetrate it." Glossaryk spoke. "You don't have to tell me where you obtained this. I already know."

"Cryptic _and_ knowledgeable." A man said, coming out of the dark shadows from one side of the room. Fourteen men followed behind him. "Just as the legends have told us."

"Well, I'm... _flattered_...that you know of me. A name from _you_ would suffice though." Glossaryk told him as he snapped his fingers. Nothing happened though. "Right. No magic...no pudding."

"My identity is kept secret for...confidentiality, shall I say. We don't want to expose our little operation now, do we?" The man said.

"Mm...so what do you want exactly?" Glossaryk asked.

"You know of magic from the past...present...and future. You know of every spell ever written and every moment when magic has been at its most powerful." The man continued, putting his hand into a fist.

"Ah, ah, ah. There is some magic that I do _not_ know of. I'm not a magic encyclopedia. Now you're expecting way too much out of me; doing all the work. Really." Glossaryk sarcastically said to him.

"Really? Well, let's see if you know the answer to this." The man spoke, bringing his face closer to the glass container.

...

"Tell me a spell that can raise the dead."


	26. Birds of a Feather

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 26: Birds of a Feather**

"Ah. Resurrection." Glossaryk spoke. "Who were you planning on bringing back? A Cousin? Grandparent?" Glossaryk stopped for a second to think. "...childhood pet hamster?" The man stood back, sneering at the magical being.

"Don't play smart with me. You will give us the spell or else-." The man told him, pointing at him.

"Or else there will be consequences. Do you really expect me to be surprised?" Glossaryk replied, rolling his eyes. "I've heard the typical evildoer negotiation in all my hundreds of years of lifetime so far. I usually hear a name too but I lack that information. Therefore, I will call you Mr. Lack-there-of, the man who lacks in detail." Glossaryk told him, smirking.

"Quiet!" Mr. Lack-there-of yelled. Glossaryk put his hands up against his ears.

"Well, there's no need to shout. I can hear you just fine. This box isn't soundproof." Glossaryk said in a snarky tone.

"May I continue?" Mr. Lack-there-of asked irritatingly. Glossaryk sighed.

"If you must." Glossaryk responded, leaning against a side of the box, wanting this all to be over. Mr. Lack-there-of cleared his throat.

"If you've heard these types of 'evil negotiations' before, then you must have been told or read of a spell to raise the dead in your 'hundreds of years of lifetime' as well, I presume." Mr. Lack-there-of replied before snapping his fingers. "I may have a little something that might help you _remember_ it." Another gentleman came from outside the shadows, holding something very familiar in his hands.

A shoulder bag...

Skyywnne's shoulder bag full of ideal spells...

The man handed it to his leader before stepping back in the shadows once again. Glossaryk scowled at him.

"I suppose you've taken out what is in that bag." Glossaryk guessed.

"No. In fact, all the contents are still in its place. However, you can cause a lot of collateral damage with what's in this bag. It would be a shame if we kept it and used it for ourselves." Mr. Lack-there-of told him.

"You would, yes; _if_ you had magic, which you do not, Mr. La-...you know what? Can I just call you Lacky?" Glossaryk asked. He crossed his legs in a pretzel fold before closing his eyes, placing both hands on both knees as if he was about to meditate. "I would say the full name but I don't have the work ethic right now to do that." Lacky looked at Glossaryk in anger.

"How do people deal with you…" Lacky asked. Glossaryk opened his eyes.

"Delicately." Glossaryk responded.

"Also, what makes you think we do not have magic?" Lacky asked.

"Because you don't." Glossaryk responded.

"How do you know?" Lacky asked.

"Why do you think I would tell you?" Glossaryk asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because if you don't, you'll regret it." Lacky replied.

"You sure about that?" Glossaryk asked, mocking the man's words. Lacky grumbled in annoyance.

"Look. You have two options. You tell us the spell to raise the dead or…" Lacky brought his face closer to the glass again. "We use the spells once we have the magic in our possession."

"So you _don't_ have the magic?" Glossaryk smirked. Lacky's mouth gaped before he face-palmed. "Why couldn't you just tell me?" He asked sarcastically.

"...are you always this aggravating?" Lacky asked.

"That is up to you. Am I aggravating?" Glossaryk asked. "Or am I just clever?" He smirked again.

"Would you just tell me the spell or I'll-!" Lacky yelled before a sudden explosion blasted through one of the walls, creating a large hole. "What the heck was that?!" Lacky shouted.

"Your worst nightmare..." A short man growled from near the hole in the wall. Lacky laughed, finding it hilarious.

"I never expected my nightmare to be so...short." Lacky mocked before his fellow comrades laughed along with him. That is...until another shorter figure came from behind him.

"Make that two." The shorter figure added.

* * *

Marco was in the kitchen, making some breakfast for his family and friends. He was at the stove, frying some bacon on a skillet as another skillet cooked some pancakes. Star walked into the kitchen with wandering eyes. She began looking through all the cabinets and drawers, opening them all as she peeked her head inside them. Marco watched as she then made her way to the refrigerator.

"What are you looking for?" Marco asked.

"Glossaryk." Star told him.

"Aaaaand you need Glossaryk...why?" Marco asked.

"I don't exactly need him for anything. It's just weird that I haven't seen him at all this morning. He usually bugs me saying, 'You kept me up all night with your breathing.' or 'Sleeping on a pile of tissues is so uncomfortable! You can't be nice enough to give me a bed my size?' bla blabla blabla." Star said, using her hand to mimic Glossaryk talking.

"Ooookay. So he's not in my room?" Marco asked as he began flipping over the strips of bacon.

"Nope." Star replied. "Look. I just want to make sure nothing happened to him. You never know in this new world, you know?" She hummed, thinking of where Glossaryk might be. She walked towards Marco, taking the hood of Marco's hoodie in her hands. Marco felt a tug.

"Ah!" Marco spoke as he was pulled. Star opened up the hood, seeing no sign of Glossaryk.

"Nuh-uh." Star said as she let go of the hood. Marco took his arm and fixed it, flattening it out.

"You sure he's not out somewhere?" Marco asked.

"Marco. Come on. We have a whole month's worth of pudding stocked in the fridge. Why would Glossaryk want to leave?" Star asked, pointing to the fridge.

"Good point." Marco said, bringing his gaze back to the stove. He took the skillets and flipped them, making the bacon and pancakes go through the air. He dropped the skillets and grabbed two plates, having the bacon and pancakes land right on them. Star was pretty amazed.

"Woah. Where'd you learn how to do that?" Star asked.

"You can learn a thing or two from the cooking channel." Marco smirked. "Mom! Dad! Breakfast!" Marco called. Rafael peeked his head from behind the wall, sniffing the air.

"Honey! Marco made us bacon!" Rafael exclaimed happily to his wife, clapping his hands with glee.

"Ooo! Pancakes too! Isn't that wonderful! I don't think Mariposa's had bacon yet." Angie replied as she walked past him with Mariposa in her arms, tickling her belly. Mariposa giggled as she was tickled. Angie walked over to the dining room table, putting Mariposa in her height chair. Angie then turned her head, noticing that Star was frantically searching the house. "Lose something, Star?"

"Yeah. Glossaryk. Have you seen him?" Star asked as she looked under the dining room table.

"Sorry but...no." Angie asked.

"Has she checked the fridge?" Rafael asked his wife. Marco walked over to the dining room table with the plates of bacon and pancakes in his hand.

"She's checked all over the kitchen, dad...including my hoodie." Marco told him.

"Well, he has to be around here somewhere, Star." Angie said. "Maybe opening a cup of pudding might bring him out of hiding?" Angie predicted. Star gasped.

"You're right!" Star said before running over to the fridge, grabbing a thing of pudding. She held it high in the air as she took off the lid, making it sound off throughout the house, almost like opening a can of food for a pet. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Marco's mouth gaped.

"...I can't believe that worked." Marco said, staring dumbfoundedly at the door. Star ran over to the door, taking the knob in her hand and opening it, revealing a familiar face.

"Star!" A short man with a long blonde beard and mustache exclaimed. He had a cloth bag on his back. Star gasped with a bright smile.

"Dad! You're back!" Star exclaimed.

"Yes! My adventure in this new world of Mewn-Earth has proven to be very useful!" River told her. "I say, why have your hearts returned? How much have I missed?"

"Well...a lot. We'll fill you in." Star told him. Marco came from behind Star.

"Wait, wait, wait. Mew-what, now?" Marco asked.

"Marco, my boy!" River shouted with joy. Marco jumped, not expecting Star's father to be at the door.

"River! Woah it's been a _long_ time since we've seen you." Marco spoke.

"Well, now I'm back...and I'm not alone." River brought his face close to Star. "He's back." River spoke quietly.

"Uuuhhh huhhhh….who's back?" Star asked.

"G-L-O-S-S-A-R-" River started to spell.

"Dad. I know how to spell. It's obviously Glossaryk….WAIT!" Star exclaimed as she jumped in shock. "You found him!?"

"Why yes!" River laughed. Glossaryk came from behind River.

"Glossaryk!" Star exclaimed.

"Yes. Hello. How are you? That's nice. Where's the pudding?" Glossaryk spoke quickly as he floated past Star. Star glared at him.

"Wow. You went through _so much_." Star said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "So what happened?"

"We achieved victory over his captors and freed him from their treacherous grasp!" River told her triumphantly.

"Huh? Captors? Victory? Okay, okay, okay. Now you're going to have to fill _us_ in." Star told him. "And what do you mean by we?" Star asked.

"Oh. Well, uh...Star. You should know that I now have made an ally." River told her.

"Cool! Who is it?" Marco asked.

"...well…now, I don't know how you'll exactly feel about-." River told her.

"Oh please. A friend of yours is a friend of mine. You know that." Star said before motioning for her father to step to the side. River moved over to his left, revealing someone very unexpected, with his back turned to them.

"LUDO?!" Star and Marco gasped. Ludo screamed in terror as he jumped, turning around.

"Star Butterfly!? And uh...you! You uh…" Ludo tried to remember Marco's name.

"...Marco... it's Marco. I mean-...come on, you seriously forgot my name?" Marco asked.

"It's been a while, okay? I'm allowed to forget things! My life has been a bit chaotic in the past! I've been through a great deal of-!" Ludo spoke.

"Look, man. You got what was coming to you. Everything that happened to you was just the consequences of what you did in the past." Marco told him with his arms crossed, trying to make a point.

"Uh, hello? Can we get back to the point? My dad just called you an ally...why?!" Star asked, absolutely befuddled as she waved her hands about.

"Hey! Believe it or not, I've had a change of heart since the last time we came across each other." Ludo told the two of them. The last time Ludo saw Star, she was running past him in a hurry to get to the portal she and Marco created. "I've realized that life meant more than just stealing a wand and ruling a kingdom."

"Uh-huh. Okay. And now you're doing what with your life exactly?" Marco asked.

"Leisure, Marco; taking in the fresh air and spending time with family...a.k.a, my younger brother, Dennis." Ludo told them. He turned his eyes to Star. "You! Tell him! You ran past me not too long ago! You saw me!" Marco shifted his gaze to Star.

"Seriously?" Marco asked.

"Yeah...he was playing basketball." Star told him.

"Ha! You see!" Ludo spoke loudly.

"Huh." Marco sounded.

"Okay, okay. We get it. You now live a life of leisure, blah blabla blabla. Can you please explain how you teamed up with my dad now?" Star asked. She noticed that Ludo had a very familiar bag on his shoulder; Skywynne's bag. Star's eyes went wide. "Wait a minute…how did you get this bag?!"

"This is your bag?!" Ludo asked. Star couldn't tell him that it was Skywynne's bag. Who knows how Ludo would react.

"Uh...yeah. Yeah, it's uh...it's my bag. How did you get it?!" Star asked again.

"Well, If you let your father and I explain, we could tell you. Can you let me in now?" Ludo said as he took it off his shoulder. Star immediately took the bag from his grasp. Star and Marco got out of the way. Marco motioned for Ludo to come on through the front door. "Thank you." He said before walking into the house. Star and Marco watched as he made his way inside, giving him raised eyebrows. Star looked down at Skywynne's bag in great concern.

"Star? Does Ludo know about...you know…" Marco got close to Star to whisper to her. "...the magic?"

"I don't think so. I don't think he knows about Skywynne either." Star sighed. "Okay, I know he said that he's done with magic and all that but...I still feel like...we can't completely trust him." Star told Marco.

"You think so?" Marco asked.

"Marco! Keep up please! This is _Ludo_ we're talking about; the bird brain who tried taking the wand from me and successfully took over Butterfly Castle at one point. He might be all 'leisure-loving' now but...if Ludo sees that we have magic and-...and knows that we have a past queen in our time, those evil thoughts might flood back. He might remember how it felt to control the power that magic contains. We can't let that happen, Marco." Star said as she watched Ludo conversing with River inside. "Whatever the case may be, we _can't_ let him know that there is magic in this house _or_ Skywynne _OR_ the wand."

"Agreed. Good thing Skywynne went out early this morning for a walk." Marco said.

"Star! Marco! Are you both coming?" River asked. Star and Marco turned their heads to the sound of River's voice.

"Yeah! Uh...coming, dad!" Star said. Star took a deep breath, letting it out a second after. "Alright. You know the drill. No talk of magic, Skywynne, or any of that stuff. Okay?" She asked Marco.

"You got it." Marco replied

* * *

Star, Marco, Ludo, River, and Glossaryk all made their way to the living room, taking a seat on the couches and chairs residing in it. Marco's parents and Mariposa made their way to the second floor, giving the group some privacy to talk. River began to explain everything that happened.

"I assume your mother told you about my little expedition; traversing the wilderness and learning about its new resources." River said to Star.

"She did." Star spoke.

"So, did you find anything?" Marco asked.

"Yeees! Yes." River grabbed his heavy cloth bag from behind him, beginning to take out items from it to show to the group. "I found this!" River revealed a jar with holes poked in the lid. Something green was moving inside it. "An alien-like snake with the texture of snot!"

"Uhh...that's a slug." Marco said, pointing at it.

"Ah." River sounded, looking at the slug.

"Ooooooo. Can I touch it?" Star asked.

"That is a defenseless creature! It doesn't want to be poked!" Marco said. "Besides, why would you want to?"

"Because it looks so squishy and boopable!" Star told him.

"We also found this!" Ludo said, taking a few leaves out of his pocket.

"Ludo? Uh...that's poison ivy." Marco told him.

"What's that?" Ludo's eyes went wide. He immediately dropped it on the floor, feeling itching all over his body. Ludo began scratching everywhere. "Make it stop!" Ludo shouted before running out of the living room and into the kitchen. Marco groaned.

"Ludo! Don't touch anything!" Marco exclaimed as he stood up and ran after Ludo. River looked at the poison ivy leaves; then, at his daughter.

"Star?" River called.

"I got it." Star held her hand out towards the poison ivy, blasting it with magical energy. The leaves suddenly grew eyes.

"Touch me!" The leaves said before growing legs and running away out the door. "Give me a hug!" Star and River watched as it ran out the door.

"...I meant to disintegrate it." Star replied, biting her lip.

"Why do I smell like medicine?!" Ludo asked loudly as he came back into the room.

"Because I put caladryl on your rashes?" Marco answered as he followed behind him.

"Has this been animal-tested?!" Ludo asked, sniffing his arm.

"Oh please. It's caladryl for pets. We've used this on the laser puppies." Marco told him. "Anyway, what did we miss?" River and Star gave each other blank stares. Star turned her gaze back to Marco.

"Nothing." Star told him.

"Wait, why can't you-" Marco spoke before Star gave him a straight face. Marco got the hint immediately. "Yeah, I'm sure nothing happened that we should be too worried about." Marco said nervously. "Anyway uh...back to the story?" He said as he sat down, stiff.

"Ah. Right. It all started in the deepest part of the forest; where I came across a group of men." River said.

* * *

River was walking around the dark corners of the forest, holding a spear in his hand that he made out of wood as a weapon for means of protection. He stayed close to the ground, just in case any creature spotted him wandering about. Every time a noise was heard, he would stop and freeze, staying as stiff as stone. Suddenly, he saw a light in the distance, almost resembling the light of a fire. He squinted his eyes at it, quietly making his way towards it.

Once River was close enough to the light, he hid behind a large boulder, hidden from view. He peeked over the boulder, revealing fifteen hooded figures standing in a circle around a campfire, having a discussion.

"They have the magic in their possession now! As we speak, time is slipping away. If we don't act soon, we'll lose this one chance we have to complete our goal and to enact the revenge our ancestors entrusted to us to carry out!" A man said loudly to the group.

"We can't just storm in and take the magic. We don't know where they've hidden it. We'll be caught!" Another man spoke. "Not to mention once we have the magic, there's no way we can use it without a wand. Mina said it's been lost after the destruction of the so-called 'realm of magic'. No one knows where it is now!"

"Silence!" A man took off his hood, revealing his face. River took a guess that this man was in charge of the group. "Mina is in leagues with us. She doesn't know of our plans but no matter what the case, she will find a way to retrieve the magic. Right now, we need to fulfill the plan we are setting out to complete." The leader spoke.

"So you are speaking of multi-tasking; gathering the information we need while she finds the magic?" A man asked.

"Exactly. The more intel we can gather, the faster we achieve our plan. We just need to keep working alongside Mina." The leader responded. "In the meantime, I have a plan in mind. Since magic is now back, that means that _he_ is back as well." The leader took out a sketch from his pocket.

It was a sketch of Glossaryk.

"If there is anyone who knows more about magic than either Mina or us, it is him. He may not tell us where the magic is. However, he could tell us some other useful information." The leader spoke.

"We take him...tonight." The leader finished.

River understood what the group was talking about. They were after the magic. They were going to capture Glossaryk and get as much information about magic as they could from him. Suddenly, he saw something moving nearby, hiding behind a bush. River, suspecting that it wasn't with the men, quickly, but quietly, made his way over there. He got his weapon ready just in case it decided to attack him. Once he was ready, River jumped out in front of it and pointed his spear at the figure. River was in shock. It was Ludo.

"Ludo…" River sneered.

"King River? What are you doing here?!" Ludo asked.

"I could ask you the same question." River said, pointing his weapon back at Ludo. After dealing with Ludo taking over the kingdom and being 'levitatoed' into the sky, he wasn't going to take any chances.

"Could you...could you drop the stick, please?" Ludo exclaimed in a whisper. River peered at Ludo before slowly dropping his weapon. "Thank you."

"Now talk." River commanded. "You're after the magic, aren't you?"

"What? No! No why would...okay now that I think about it, you have good reason to believe I would want the magic but no! No, no, no." Ludo spoke.

"You're babbling. It's the tell-tale sign of a liar." River spoke, about to bring his spear up into position again.

"I'm being serious!" Ludo spoke with his hands in the air. "I'm done with magic. I've found more valuable things in life like family...and-...and basketball...and trash!"

"Trash...why would you like trash?" River asked, confused.

"My last home was made of tra-...you know what? Nevermind! Those men are plotting something that would affect absolutely everything; not just you or your family. It will affect the good and the bad! I'm good now but...still! If they are after magic and Glossaryk, then something bad is about to happen and they have something to do with it!" Ludo said, pointing to the group of men. River and Ludo peeked back over the bush, watching the men converse with each other.

"You may not believe me after everything I've done in the past but you cannot deny the fact that they're up to something." Ludo said.

"Alright. You may just be right." River replied. They could hear the leader of the group talking again.

"Before we make our move, let's grab some supplies at the site." The leader said. The group began to make their way away from the campsite. River and Ludo started following the group from far behind, making sure they didn't notice the two of them being close behind them. As they were in pursuit, River looked over to his side with a raised eyebrow, seeing Ludo walking right next to him. Ludo then looked over at River with the same look. Once they both noticed they were glancing at each other, they immediately turned their heads straight ahead awkwardly, back on course. River cleared his throat as Ludo whistled.

"So...you're following them too?" Ludo asked, breaking the silence.

"Mmmm...yes. It appears that you are as well." River spoke.

"Uh...yes?" Ludo said awkwardly. The silence between them returned. River couldn't take it anymore. "Alright! We are on the same course! Let's face the facts!"

"I suppose. Are you proposing we form...an alliance?" River asked, a little hesitant.

"I know that it's far from what you are thinking but hear me out! We are after the same thing; keeping our new world safe from these...what would you call them? Magic stealers?"

"Hmm...I will accept your terms. After they leave their site, we'll hide out there and wait until they come back. But listen here." River stopped in his tracks and scowled at Ludo. Ludo stopped along with him. "If you dare turn against me or join forces with them…" River pointed to the men. "...you're done for...and you will have to go through me." River told them. River held out his hand to shake Ludo's. "Deal?" Ludo looked at his hand before hesitantly taking it.

"Deal." Ludo said.

* * *

"And that is how we are now allies; fighting evil and bringing justice to those who want to cause harm to our new home." River told them as he laughed triumphantly.

"After a few hours, we discovered that the men were right. Magic was back which meant Glossaryk was back as well." Ludo added.

"So what did they want from you, Glossaryk?" Marco asked Glossaryk, who was eating a pudding cup.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing much. Just a spell to raise the dead. Nothing important." Glossaryk told them.

"Not important? Glossaryk! That's _really_ important!" Star exclaimed.

"Why would they want to raise the dead?" Marco asked.

"No, Marco. The question is... _who_ do they want to raise _from_ the dead." Star said, thinking to herself.

"Good question. What we are both trying to figure out is who has the magic and who they're seeking revenge on. Your mother told me that the magic was destroyed." River spoke.

"She did?" Star asked. "Is that why you're here then?"

"Well, yes but it was also because Glossaryk told us that he was last with you." River spoke.

"What we _do_ need to figure out is where the magic is hidden. We don't exactly know where it is but-..." Ludo stopped, suddenly thought of what River just said. He glanced over at Star.

"Uh...hello?" Star spoke. Last time Ludo saw Star, she had no hearts on her cheeks. He wondered why that was the case until he learned that magic was destroyed. No magic meant no cheekmarks. However, thoughts began to race through Ludo's head. If magic was destroyed...

…then why does Star have her hearts on her cheeks?

The only way she could have her cheekmarks back was if...she had magic herself.

Suddenly, the front door opened.

"I'm back!" An energized Skywynne with her hourglass cheekmarks said coming in…with the magic wand in her hand.

Ludo turned his head to her, gasping, knowing exactly who she was.

"Oh, um...is this a bad time, Star?" She asked.


	27. Lost

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 27: Lost**

"You're-...you're...Skywynne Butterfly!" Ludo exclaimed. "And that's the-...the w-...w-..." Ludo couldn't even say the word. Thoughts flooded through his mind. He couldn't think straight. Star knew since the start that Ludo still had some things to work on, especially straying away from his evil side. Seeing Skywynne and the wand might've just brought those evil urges right back. Ludo quickly jumped out of his seat, snatching the wand from Skywynne's hands.

"Hey!" Skywynne exclaimed in surprise.

"Star!" Marco called out. Star turned her head, seeing Skywynne's wand in Ludo's hands.

"Ludo!" Star yelled. She threw her hands in front of her. "Colossal Coconut Confinement!" Star spoke loudly. Her hands glowed, shooting a magical beam out from them, making a giant coconut appear near the doorway of the room. Ludo dodged it, jumping away from it. Skywynne popped her head out from behind the coconut.

"Smells...tropical!" Skywynne said. Ludo suddenly ran outside, proceeding for everyone to quickly follow him. They made it out of the house, revealing a troubled Ludo standing there. Star spread her arms out wide, halting the group behind her. Ludo began to stare at the wand he was holding as everyone else's concern grew.

"I demand you give my wand back to me!" Skywynne spoke, stomping her foot.

"No!" Ludo said, sounding like a child.

"Hold on." Star said to Skywynne. She brought a hand up and powered it with magic, just in case she had to take precautionary measures. She really didn't want to but if it meant the safety of her friends, she was ready to do whatever it takes.. She continued keeping a close eye on Ludo. "Ludo? You don't want to do this." Star told him, calmly, keeping her aim.

"To think...all those times I attempted to steal the wand before; coming up with schemes and plans...only to be defeated by the likes of you two." Ludo said, sneering at Star and Marco. He looked at the wand with a sigh. "I've missed what it feels like to have a grasp at victory." Ludo said as he made his free hand in a fist, looking determined. Star looked at Ludo in anger. She couldn't change him now. Ludo was back to his old self. It's exactly what she feared would happen. The wand was a trigger, making that switch in his brain go from good to how he was in the past; evil. Star could only wonder what happened to the Ludo that was standing in that house just a bit earlier.

"Ludo? Look around you! The world's changed and you're not realizing the full extent of that!" Star told him.

"She's right! You might think that everything that worked back on Mewni will work here but it won't!" Marco added.

"How would either of you know? You've been here just as long as I have!" Ludo fired back, grasping the wand tightly. Glossaryk suddenly came to Star's side, whispering something in her ear as everyone else waited for what was going to happen. Star's eyes grew wide. She took a look at the wand. Then, back at Ludo. Her face suddenly shed a slight bit of confidence.

"...well then, use the wand." Star said. Everyone gasped.

"What?!" They all exclaimed, except for Ludo.

"You must be joking." Ludo added.

"Star! Are you crazy!?" Marco asked. "Have you forgotten everything that happened back on Mewni the last time he had a wand in his possession?!" Star held her free hand up in the air, silencing him as her other hand still was ready to summon any magical spell necessary.

"No, no, Marco. If he thinks he can conquer this world like he did on Mewni, I want to see him try it." Star told him. Marco could only wonder what Glossaryk just whispered in her ear that would make her want to risk the safety of Earthni by letting him use the wand. None of the others understood either. Has Star lost it? "Well, Ludo? Amaze me." Star said, putting her free hand on her hip.

"Wow. I didn't think that-...why would you just let me use the-...eh, oh well. Your loss." Ludo shrugged before holding the wand in the air, ready to use its unlimited magic power.

"Hah!" Ludo exclaimed as he tried using the wand.

…..but nothing happened.

Star smirked. The others were still confused. What just happened? Ludo looked at the wand with a raised eyebrow. He brought the wand back in front of him. He shook it with his free hand.

"What the…" Marco spoke.

"Your wand's broken!" Ludo said. "Shouldn't it have...you know...changed and...you know! What about the swirly, glowy thing and the-..." Ludo babbled on, confused as he made a swirling motion with his hand around the wand.

"It's not broken." Star said. "You just can't use it." She grinned.

"What? What does that mean!?" Ludo asked.

"I'm still confused." Marco spoke.

"I am as well." Skywynne said.

"Ah, ah, ah. Give it a second. It'll come to" Star said to him.

"Oh. Okay then." Marco spoke. Everyone stood there for about ten seconds until they realized what Star was talking about.

"...oooooooooohhhhhh!" They all sounded.

"There you go." Star said.

"You have to go through the magical...uh...thing! You know the whole glowy, floaty...thing...right?" Marco asked. "Sorry, I forgot the name of it."

"Magical regeneration." Glossaryk reminded everyone, pointing in the air. Marco snapped his fingers.

"Thank you." Marco spoke. "Seriously, how could I forget about that so fast." He wondered. The gang looked back at Ludo, who was suffering from a bit of confusion. Everyone could tell that Ludo was lost. He didn't know what to think anymore.

"Well...so! You forgot that I know you have the magic those men are looking for! If I find that, ohohohohooooo just you wait! You won't see me coming! Kapowie!" Ludo exclaimed. Marco raised an eyebrow.

"Kapowie?" Marco said, unsure of how that word sounded coming out of Ludo's mouth.

"What? A lot of people say that word!" Ludo shouted.

"Uh...no they don't." Marco replied.

"Silence!" Ludo yelled. Star really wanted to get Ludo back to how he was earlier. She could tell that he was having a battle between himself; whether he wanted to remain good or take this chance and use the magic that Star and Marco possessed to rule Earthni. All his hesitations clearly showed it. Ludo felt lost. Star tried to think of anything to get his mind back to how it was not that long ago. She came up with an idea.

"Do you remember what happened the last time you got too involved with magic?" Star asked.

"You think I would forget how I took over your kingdom and became all-powerful? Ha! No!" Ludo replied loudly.

"Uh-huh, uh-huh, okay. Well, how about Toffee?" Star asked. Ludo's eyes widened.

"Wh-...Wha?" Ludo stuttered.

"You forgot, didn't you? You forgot how it felt to have Toffee in full control of you! You forgot how Toffee used you for his own schemes!" Marco spoke. Flashbacks suddenly came to Ludo's mind; ones that he hasn't remembered for a good while. Although at that time, he thought he was working with Toffee instead of Toffee using his body as a vessel to get what he wanted, he still never liked the chilling moments of being under Toffee's control. He remembered being in a black abyss, not being able to move his arms or legs. He recalled trying to move and become free, but not being able to in any way whatsoever. Ludo remembered some moments where he would be in that abyss, screaming out of fear and panic, wanting to be free. It was like being frozen in ice or encased in Rhombulus' crystal rock. However, you remember everything that happened. You're aware of every minute of every second that goes by.

"Seriously, Ludo! You think that after all that, you would understand that getting involved with magic again is a _bad idea!_ Really think about this!" Marco said.

Ludo started to remember the consequences that came out of using magic. He recalled how he felt after realizing Toffee was just using him for his own purposes. He felt off-course and disoriented. He didn't know what to do with himself after being treated the way Toffee treated him. After that moment in time, Ludo remembered how he wanted to find himself and set a new path for him to walk.

_Have I found myself yet?_

That's what went through Ludo's mind that very second. He looked at his hands grasping that wand he stole from Skywynne. He vowed to stray away from magic ever since that day he was freed from Toffee's control. He never wanted to be entangled in any of that ever again. He immediately threw the wand away from him in fear, coming to a harsh realization of what was happening. Everyone else watched as he parted himself from it.

"I _had_ forgotten..." Ludo said to himself anxiously. "I just wonder how I was able to forget something like that. I thought I finally found myself but...apparently I have to work on that a little more." Ludo nervously chuckled. He looked at his left hand, remembering how he had half of Star's wand crystal encased in his palm for so long; how he kept hearing voices and how he held so much power in it, only to have it scar him for the rest of his life. Ludo took his left hand and put it in a fist, trying his hardest to combat those terrifying memories. He looked up at Star and the gang, embarrassed from his actions.

"...I wish I could help you with the men and-...and the um…you know...but I-..." Ludo couldn't find the right words, feeling extremely guilty for the way he acted. Star walked over to the wand, picking it up. The wand changed to hers in her hand as she made her way to Ludo.

"We know." Star said, sympathetically. "It's okay." She reassured him with a smile.

* * *

While Skywynne and Glossaryk stayed in the backyard, Star, Marco, and River stood with Ludo at the front door to say farewell.

"I'm sorry I'm leaving you all on your own. I just don't think I can handle anything involving...uh…" Ludo hesitated.

"You mean ma-" Marco was about to say before Star put her hand over his mouth.

"Ah, no no no no. Don't say the m word." Star told him. Marco took hold of her hand and removed it from his mouth. River came up to Ludo with a stern look on his face.

"So...I'm hoping the "you're done if you turn against me" deal doesn't still apply here...right? Right? Please tell me I'm right about that." Ludo asked nervously. River stayed silent for a minute, peering into his eyes, staring deep into his soul. Ludo watched River in complete and utter terror, scared of what his response would be.

"A true man would realize his mistake and try to fix it instead of disregarding it. I respect that." River said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. Ludo's eyes lit up.

"...you think I'm a true man? No one has ever seen me as a man! They've only seen me as an immature juvenile!" Ludo asked, about to tear up.

"Oh, for the love of-" Star spoke as she rolled her eyes. She then looked at Marco...who was tearing up a little bit too. "Marco?"

"I know how he feels." Marco said. Star made a straight face, face-palming.

"Well, safe travels, good fellow!" River told him.

"Yeah. I hope everything works out for you. I'm going to be honest. It really seems like you want to become a better person. I think you can do it." Star told him.

"I appreciate it, Star Butterfly." Ludo said as he nodded before walking away.

"Wait! So, you're going to walk back to your home all by yourself? Isn't that a long trip?" Star asked.

"Are you kidding? I called my brother!" Ludo told them.

"Your brother?" Star asked.

"Yes! Who would've thought Earth phones were easier than letters!" Ludo said.

"Um...everyone?" Star spoke.

"Besides, I'm glad I contacted him. He told me that he's making milkshakes!" Ludo said with joy.

"Ooo! What kind?" Marco asked.

"Worm and beetle delight!" Ludo said excitedly. Marco's face started turning green at the thought of it before he ran back into the house, feeling sick to his stomach.

A car horn sounded on the road. Star and River turned their heads, seeing a beat-up, rusted pick-up truck parked next to the sidewalk in front of the house. Dennis was at the wheel, waiting for Ludo to hop in the car.

"You said 8 PM, Ludo. 8 PM! That's what you told me yesterday night!" Dennis said. Ludo rolled his eyes.

"Have you forgotten that _I_ am the older brother? Not you? I can easily take care of myself." Ludo replied as he walked towards the truck.

"Uh-huh. Sure. Hey, look. I can still worry about you, you know." Dennis replied. Ludo opened the passenger side door, jumping into the truck before closing it beside him. "Oh, by the way, I brought them with me." Dennis pointed down, revealing two worm and beetle milkshakes in the cupholders. "I didn't want them to turn into sludge by the time we got back." Dennis told him. Ludo picked up a milkshake, sipping the straw in it. A smile grew on his face. He sighed.

"Tastes like home." Ludo said. Marco came out from inside the house, holding his stomach as he stepped in front of Star and River.

"I uh...I feel better." Marco said. "Wait, where's-..." Marco looked straight ahead, seeing Ludo and his brother holding their worm and beetle milkshakes, drinking out of the cups.

"Bye Marco!" Ludo said as a worm was hanging out of his mouth.

"Ah! No! No no!" Marco said before turning green again, running into the house once more. The truck drove off, making its way to Ludo and Dennis' house in the woods. Ludo realized that he wasn't capable of being around magic yet. Every time it came to his mind, those painful memories would come back to him. He decided that he wasn't ready to jump into something like this yet. He had to work on healing and focusing on becoming a better self just a little longer.

Star and River walked back into the Diaz house. Star walked over to the couch in the living room, sighing as she face-planted into the sofa.

"Something wrong, sweetie?" River asked.

"...I underestimated some things, dad." Star replied, muffled. Marco came into the living room, holding his stomach again. He noticed that Star was in a predicament.

"Everything okay?" Marco asked.

"Star has 'underestimated some things'." River told Marco. Star groaned as she laid there, face-down.

"Okay. Like what?" Marco asked. Star lifted her head.

"Well, I thought the magic would be the only thing that power-hungry evildoers would be after in this world but...I never took the time to consider that the wand could be something they would want to have too." Star told him.

"Uh...Star? Hasn't the wand always been a target of power-hungry evildoers?" Marco asked with an awkward smile. Star made a straight face.

"True." Star replied as she lifted her body, sitting straight up on the sofa. Marco came over to sit next to her.

"Well, your call, Star. What should we do?" Marco asked. Star sighed once more.

"Okay, we need to start taking more precautions. We need to hide the wand too. We have to make sure no one gets their hands on it, even if they aren't able to use it. Ludo might not have the ability to use it but you never know if there's someone else out there that might be able to use it." Star explained. Marco thought to himself for a minute.

"I think I got a place." Marco said.

* * *

Star and Marco went upstairs into Marco's room and walked over to his desk. Marco opened one of the large drawers within it. Star shook her head, somewhat disappointed in Marco's plan.

"Marco. Seriously? Who _wouldn't_ look in a drawer? That's the most obvious place in the book." Star said as she crossed her arms. Marco shifted his gaze to her.

"Then you, Ms. Butterfly, read the wrong book." Marco said, winking at her. He looked back at the desk drawer, moving some papers and books out of it. Inside it laid a single no. 2 pencil. He took a grip of the pencil, lifting up. Much to Star's surprise, it was glued to the piece of wood at what she thought was the bottom of the desk drawer. Marco lifted it up, revealing a secret compartment underneath it.

"Well, well, Mr. Diaz. You had me fooled." Star told him, very pleased. "And you said making a secret compartment in the kitchen floor was bad."

"Star. You literally tore kitchen tiles off the floor." Marco told her.

"Point taken." Star said. "So...what have you hidden in here?" Star said as she dipped her head into the drawer.

"Well, some money, gifts for my parents…" Marco looked to his side. "...the song I wrote for you." He told her. Star lifted her head.

"Aww." Star smiled. She looked back at the drawer. "Well, I think this is the perfect place to hide it." Star said as she held her hand out. Marco looked at it, putting his hand in hers. Star made a straight face at him once again. "I meant the wand."

"Oh." Marco said before taking the wand in his other hand and giving it to her. She took the wand in her hands and placed it in the drawer. Marco took the wood piece and put it over top of the wand, hiding it in plain sight.

"Perfect." Marco said.

"Okay, let's hope no one knows it's there." Star said as they both stood up straight.

"Wait, what about Skywynne? It is her wand, after all." Marco spoke. Star wasn't sure if she actually wanted to tell her, especially after seeing the spell with no name written on a piece of paper in her shoulder bag. "Star...it is her wand. She has the right to know." Marco added. Star let out a breath.

"Yeah I'll uh...I'll tell her." She took her hands and rubbed her forehead. Marco noticed she was a bit tense.

"Hey." Marco spoke as he put a hand on her shoulder. Star looked at him as she lowered her hands. "We'll get through this." He said with a smile. Star smiled back as she placed her hand on his.

"Yeah." Star spoke. "Anyway, up for some nachos? I could use some with some extra cheese." Star smiled as Marco smiled back, putting his one arm around her.

"I wouldn't mind a few!" Marco said.

"Well, you better start making them." Star said, smirking.

"Right." Marco rolled his eyes with a grin as they walked out of their room.


	28. Fondue for Four

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 28: Fondue for Four**

"Why do I feel like this is going to end up badly?" Marco asked as he looked at himself through a small mirror on the wall in his room, straightening the tie on his gray suit. Star was in the bathroom brushing her hair, wearing an orange-cream color knee-length dress with a white kitten patch on the bottom corner of it.

"Well, it's not! I mean, come on! Tom and Janna haven't been on an actual date!" Star told him.

"Uh-huh. Okay. And what is _your_ definition of an 'actual date'? We've had dates in private before." Marco told her.

"Yup. But we've _also_ had dates in public places! _And_ we weren't so secretive about it!" Star said, putting her hairbrush down. "They need to go PUBLIC!" Star said excitedly, slamming her fists on the bathroom counter, accidentally spilling a ton of stuff out of her medicine cabinet hanging on the wall. "Aw, darn it."

"Well, I still think you're trying to meddle again." Marco said as Star put all the fallen objects back on the medicine cabinet shelves. "Why don't you just let their relationship grow on its own?"

"Woah. Hey. I'm not trying to meddle!" Star replied, pointing at Marco. "I just want to be a witness to the growth of something…" Star wiggled her fingers, pretending magic was coming from them. "...magical." She spoke in a high-pitched voice.

"Ohhhh boy." Marco replied, face-palming. A doorbell suddenly sounded. Star's eyes lit up.

"It's tiiiime!" Star happily sang as she ran out of the door and down the steps.

"Star! Wait up!" Marco said as he started to run before falling flat on his face, realizing his shoe was tied to the leg of his desk chair sitting next to him. "What the-...Glossaryk!" Marco shouted, realizing that Glossaryk was the one who tied his shoelace to his desk chair when he wasn't looking. Glossaryk peeked out from the door, snickering as he witnessed his prank in action.

Star happily made her way to the door, opening it, revealing a normal-acting Janna and a nervous Tom. Star's pupils turned to hearts as she saw the couple standing at the door. Janna was wearing a jade green dress while Tom was wearing a black and white suit with his jacket unbuttoned.

"Hey." Janna said in a monotone voice.

"Uh...hi." Tom spoke as he pulled on his collar, acting a little nervous for some odd reason.

"Oh my gosh you guys are sooo cuuuuuuuute!" Star squeaked, not even taking a breath as she placed her hands on her cheeks. Marco came down the steps, seeing Janna and Tom at the doorway.

"Hey guys!" Marco said. He then noticed Janna's attire. "Woah. Woah. Hold up. Janna? Are you wearing a dress?!" Tom suddenly started flailing his arms about, trying to warn Marco not to say anything about what she was wearing.

"Don't...mention...the dress." Janna said in a deep, almost demonic voice. Marco swallowed in fear, knowing not to mention that dress ever again. She obviously didn't like wearing it. "Anyway, where are we going exactly?" Janna asked.

* * *

"Fondue Palace!" Star proclaimed with her hands up in the air as they all stood in front of a restaurant in the middle of town.

"Fon-...what?" Tom asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Fon _due_ , Tom. They put food on little swords!" Star told him.

"For the last time, Star. They're skewers, not swords. Besides, I promised Star a while ago that I would bring her somewhere that serves fondue. Star and I did plan to go by ourselves but it was _Star's_ idea to take you guys with." Marco said, looking at Star as her eyes lit up while having the biggest smile on her face.

"Wierd. I don't remember a restaurant in Echo Creek serving fondue." Janna spoke.

"Oh, this place is new. Apparently it might become 'the next big thing'." Marco told her, using air quotes.

"Pfft. Like it can beat out boba tea." Star chuckled, rolling her eyes as they walked to the door. Marco stepped in front of her, opening it for Star.

"After you." He spoke with a smile.

"Why thank you, Marco!" Star replied as they both walked in, closing the door behind them. Star leaned her head close to Marco as they slowly walked forward.

"Why didn't you hold the door for them?" Star whispered.

"I want to see what Tom does." Marco said.

"Now who's the one meddling?" Star asked, smirking.

"Zip it." Marco spoke.

Tom and Janna stood outside, near the door. Janna crossed her arms, waiting for Tom to open it. She looked at the door, then Tom, then the door again, realizing that Tom isn't getting the hint to open the door for her. She cleared her throat.

"Uh...door?" Janna asked.

"Oh!" Tom said loudly before opening the door...shattering the glass as it swung open. Tom and Janna stood there with their eyes wide. Tom began to sweat, shedding a guilty smile.

"No way I'm cleaning that up." Janna said as she walked through the doorway. Tom stood there as she watched her walk in, looking like a hot mess.

* * *

Skywynne sat in the living room of the Diaz residence, watching a soap opera on the television. She was the only one home since Marco's parents and Mariposa went to see a movie. She decided to stay behind to give her four friends some alone time. It was a double-date after all and she didn't have anyone to take with her. Besides, she had a soap opera to watch! Skywynne held the remote while her eyes were glued to the screen. She leaned closer to the television, watching some drama unfold. A man and a woman stood on a grassy cliff near a beach.

"Ricardo...I'm afraid we can't be together." The woman said.

"Alicia, no! I love you no matter who you are! Whatever it is, we can work this out!" Ricardo replied, holding his hand out toward Alicia.

"You don't understand, Ricardo! I...am allergic...to cats!" Alicia replied.

"But...but you said you love my little Truffle! You lied to me Alicia! Why?!" Ricardo said as he held a white persian cat.

"I'm sorry but...it's not meant to be. I must go...and move on." Alicia spoke.

"Alicia! Noooooooo!" Ricardo shouted to Alicia while Truffle meowed along with him.

"You're making a mistake, Alicia! Look beyond the hives and listen to your heart!" Skywynne said as she placed her hands on her heart. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Who could that be?" Skywynne asked herself as she got up, walking towards the door and opening it. "Hello?"

Skywynne gasped.

* * *

Star, Marco, Janna, and Tom all sat at a table, silent as they waited for their food to come to the table. Marco drank some water out of his glass while Tom cleared his throat. There was a fondue pot in the middle of their table already. However, they were told not to touch the boiling contents inside it though. Suddenly, the candlelight on the table went out. Everyone stared at it as a small bit of smoke came from the wick. Tom made suave eyes at Janna.

"I got this." Tom said as he snapped his fingers, making a little flame appear from his pointer finger. He hovered the small flame above the candlewick...and made the entire candlelight up in a 5-inch blaze.

"Ah...AH! FIRE! FIRE!" Marco screamed. Janna took a pitcher of water from a waiter walking by, dumping it on the fire. Everyone stared at the charred candle in shock.

"Would you like...um...another candle brought to your table?" The water asked, raising a finger in the air nervously.

"Nah. We're good." Janna replied before the waiter walked away. She glanced at Tom. "Dude, you're destroying everything in sight. You good?" Janna asked.

"Uh...yeah! Yeah. Yeah. Just peachy." Tom said, nervously.

"Peachy?" Star repeated, never _ever_ hearing that word come out of Tom's mouth before.

"Yeah, who says 'peachy' anymore?" Marco asked.

"I do! Okay!?" Tom spoke loudly, irritated as his hair lit up just a little bit with fire. Star and Marco looked at him with wide eyes, wondering what his problem is. Tom then quickly glanced at Janna, who gave him a raised eyebrow, almost as if she was used to this and didn't want him acting this way in public. He immediately calmed down to avoid further issues. "I mean...uh…" Tom noticed the waiter coming over, pushing a cart carrying multiple plates of food. "Oh, look! The food's coming!" Tom spoke, derailing from the situation. The waiter stopped at their table, placing plates of meats and veggies on it.

"Enjoy your meal." The waiter said before leaving the table, pushing the now empty cart away. Star looked around at all the plates of food.

"Okay, Marco. Lay it on me. How does this work?" Star asked, extremely focused as she took a skewer and started poking the tip of it, flinching as the tip of it poked her finger. "Ow!"

"Actually, I have the same question...because you know...there's no such thing as fondue in the underworld so-..." Tom nervously chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, what you do is take one of these-" Marco started as he took a skewer from the fondue pot.

"Little swords!" Star said excitedly, holding one of them in front of his face. Marco made a straight face, pretending to ignore what she just said. He gently lowered her hand from his face.

"...you pick up a piece of food…" Marco took the skewer and stabbed a slice of potato with it, "...and you stick it in the pot of broth until it's fully cooked through." Marco explained as if he was a chef teaching inexperienced amateurs. He then took the potato out of the pot, showing that it's been cooked.

"Oh...that's easy!" Star said. Marco grabbed an empty plate, about to put the potato right onto it. Star put a hand on his arm, stopping him. "Marco...what are you doing?" Star asked with a solemn look.

"I was uh…I wasn't sure if you wanted me to-..." Marco started, frozen in place.

"Marco. My man. We're dating. Just feed me the potato slice. It's a normal thing couples do." Star told him. Marco relaxed his posture a bit.

"Okay." Marco said gladly before feeding Star the potato slice. Star shed a smile as she tasted the fondue goodness. On the other side of the table, Tom observed Marco's and Star's behavior. He decided to try to imitate it so he could impress Janna. He took a skewer and stabbed a carrot before putting it into the pot of boiling broth. He took it out not too long after and observed it, making sure it was fully cooked through. Tom offered it to Janna. Janna raised an eyebrow, looking at the carrot in disgust.

"You do realize I'm allergic to carrots, right?" Janna asked him. Tom immediately retreated the carrot, sitting stiffly in his chair, sweating up a storm. He didn't think this double-date could get any worse. He took a look at Marco, observing his behavior towards Star one more time.

"Like it?" Marco asked Star as his arm was placed behind her. Star had about five skewers in her hands. Her mouth was full of food.

"Mmmhmm!" Star muffled. She swallowed her food. "Who thought fondue could be so much fun! Hey, hey. It should be called ' _fun-_ due'! Huh? Huh?" She told him with her mouth full, nudging Marco.

"Very clever, Star." Marco chuckled before giving her a little kiss on the cheek. Star giggled at the feeling of the kiss. Tom then thought to himself.

" _Wait a minute...a kiss! One of the best ways to a woman's heart!"_ Tom thought to himself. He turned to Janna, who was messing with a skewer.

"You know, these could make some good ninja daggers." Janna spoke as she poked the sharp tips of them. Tom swallowed anxiously before leaning in, about to kiss her cheek. Janna turned her gaze to Tom, seeing that he was going in for a kiss before immediately pulling away from him. She got up out of her chair in a hurry.

"Hey Star want to go to the girl's room great okay let's go." Janna said without stopping to take a breath. Star and Marco's eyes went wide, wondering what in the world was wrong with Janna.

"Oh! Uh, okay. If you insi-WOAH!" Star sounded, feeling a pull at her arm as Janna brought her along. Marco and Tom watched as they saw their dates walk away from the table. Once they were out of sight, Marco turned to Tom, who was sweating profusely.

"Okay. What's going on, man? You're acting...insecure." Marco told him.

"Pfft...what? There's nothing going on, okay? _Nothing_." Tom told him.

"...really Tom?" Marco spoke with a raised eyebrow. Tom looked over to his side.

"I'd uh...rather not talk about it." Tom replied.

"Tooooom?" Marco spoke with a raised brow. Tom tried holding back from talking. He couldn't hide it anymore after a few seconds.

"Look, I'm just scared, okay?! You happy now?!" Tom replied, frustrated. Marco froze, wide-eyed before leaning back in his chair. He smirked, crossing his arms.

"It all makes sense now." Marco said.

"What makes sense?!" Tom asked.

"You're worried about messing up with Janna." Marco replied.

"...what makes you say that?" Tom asked, irritated that he was even in this conversation.

"Oh, come on! You shattered a glass door and lit an entire candle on fire. It's obvious." Marco told him.

"...so?" Tom said, embarrassed.

"And then you tried copying how I was treating Star..." Marco started.

"Okay, yeah. I still don't see your point. All I see is you trying to make me feel even more humiliated than usual." Tom told him.

"That's not what I'm trying to do, Tom." Marco said.

"I know. I know." Tom said. "It's just…" He groaned. "I really don't want to lose her, okay? I mean, I messed up with Star and, like, one or two other girls before her and…" Tom hesitated. "...I really like Janna." He let out a sigh. "You know when you see a girl and you know in your heart that she's the one? I know it sounds cheesy but do you know what I mean?" Tom asked Marco. Marco looked over at Star's chair, smiling softly. Memories began to flood through his head of all of the fun times he's had with Star. Marco looked back at Tom.

"Yeah. I do." Marco said to him. "You know, here's what I think." Marco leaned on the table. "Janna likes you for you, right? Well...if that's the case, don't pretend to be someone you're not. Just be yourself. If you do that, then nothing should go wrong." He told Tom with a smile. Tom thought about what Marco told him for a second before smiling back.

"You know, those are some true words of wisdom, dude." Tom said before he and Marco fist-bumped. "Thanks."

"Hey, anything to help a brother out." Marco said with a smile. "Now to figure out what's going on with Janna." Marco said as they both looked towards the bathroom.

* * *

Janna and Star walked into the girl's bathroom. As Star looked in the mirror, checking her hair and dress, Janna paced back and forth. Star watched as she walked from one side of the bathroom to the other.

"Sooooo...what's up-" Star started.

"I can't take it, Star!" Janna spoke loudly.

"Woooooah okay. What now?" Star asked, holding her hands up in front of her.

"Tom! He's not acting like himself! Did he act this way with you when you guys were dating because I don't know what to do or-...or how to respond to it or-...anything!" Janna exclaimed, freaking out. "I mean, you and Marco might like to be all...you know...affectionate in public but I don't! I hate that!" Janna spoke. Star stood there stiff.

"Well, Tom did act this way on our first date. You know, he could just be nervous." Star shrugged. Janna looked at her feet, thinking about what Star just said.

"Geez. I'm not good at all this romantic stuff. I'm not used to being at restaurants and getting all dressed up. I mean, I like dead things." Janna replied. Star smiled at Janna's misknowledge of romance. Star came over to her, placing her hands on Janna's shoulders. Janna looked up at her.

"Look. Tom might not know how to treat you in public. You guys haven't had a date here before...or at any place like this for that matter. So you don't know how to act." Star said before slightly frowning. "I guess it's my fault for setting up this double date, huh. You're not a fan of these kinds of places, after all." Star spoke.

"Woah, hey. Don't put yourself down like that. You were just trying to help us with our relationship. I would've done the same thing if I saw you and Marco needed help with yours." Janna said. Star's eyes opened wide.

"Really?" Star asked. "Huh...and I thought I was the only one who meddled."

"Wait a minute. I don't meddle. I only get involved if I see there's a problem. You? You get involved no matter what the case." Janna said before they both laughed. Star wiped a tear from her eye from laughing.

"Anyway, it's your call, Janna. What do you wanna do?" Star asked. Janna thought to herself for a second. She hummed to herself before snapping her fingers.

"I got it." Janna spoke.

* * *

Marco and Tom continued to wait for Star and Janna until they caught sight of them coming back to the table.

"Everything okay?" Marco asked.

"Yeah. Everything's allllllll good." Star said before raising her hand up. "CAN WE GET A BILL PLEASE?!" Star exclaimed. Marco's eyes grew wide.

"Wait. Did I miss something? What's going on?" Tom asked.

"We're ditching this place and going somewhere else." Janna said.

"Okay...and that would be…" Tom spoke.

* * *

"The pier!" Marco and Tom said in excitement. Everyone was back in their normal outfits. Good thing they all brought a change of clothes in the back of Tom's car.

"Wow. It's been forever since I went to a pier." Tom said. He turned his gaze to Janna. "You know, this place is perfect. Good call." Tom smiled. Janna smiled back as he and her boyfriend gazed into each other's eyes. Star and Marco watched as they fawned over one another.

"Well, turns out this double-date kind of worked after all." Marco said. He suddenly heard heavy breathing in his ear, turning his head, seeing Star fangirling over the pairing like crazy. "Star...you know how I hate it when people breathe in my ear." He told her.

"But Marco!" Star grabbed his shoulders and started shaking him. "THEY'RE

SOOOOO CUUUUTE!" Star exclaimed. She stopped shaking him. Marco held his head, feeling dizzy. "Hey! Tom! Janna!" Star shouted.

"Sup?" Janna asked.

"Starco versus...uh...Jantom! Whoever wins the most pier games wins the night!" Star spoke.

"Wait, Jan-what now?" Marco asked.

"Jantom! It's their new ship name. I just made it now!" Star squeaked.

"Wow." Marco said sarcastically as he facepalmed.

"...you're on, Butterfly." Janna replied with determination

"Wait, what are we-AH! OKAY!" Tom exclaimed, feeling Janna pull him by the arm as she ran to the games.

"Wait! This isn't a race!" Star said before doing the same thing to Marco.

"Woah!" Marco sounded as they all ran into the pier, about to have some fun.

* * *

Star, Marco, Tom, and Janna were seated comfortably in Tom's convertible as he drove it into the parking lot at Marco's house. They all opened the doors and hopped out of the car, laughing while carrying a ton of pier game prizes.

"I cannot believe we tied." Marco said.

"Seriously, how did we tie at every single game we did?" Tom asked, astonished.

"Oh, who cares! We got prizes!" Star exclaimed as she held about 10 stuffed animals in her arms. Marco, Tom, Janna stopped as she continued to walk.

"S-...Star?" Marco spoke.

"What?" Star asked before looking at the house.

The door was ripped off its hinges.

"Oh no." Star spoke. They all dropped their pier prizes right on the ground before running over to the doorway, being extra careful and investigating everything in sight. As they walked in, the house looked as if it was ransacked. Chairs were knocked over, little rinky-dink objects were scattered all over the floor, and picture frames were crooked as they hung on the walls.

"Mom! Dad! Mariposa!" Marco called out, desperately hoping that his family was okay. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from the stairs. Marco turned his head, seeing his parents standing on the steps as his mom held Mariposa.

"Marco! Oh my goodness!" Angie spoke before running down the steps, hugging her son. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"No no! I'm fine! We all just got here!" Marco told her as he let go slightly, pointing to Star, Janna, and Tom, who were looking around for any clues as to what happened here. "What about you guys! Are you okay?"

"Yes! We're fine!" Rafael said to him. "We just got home not too long before you did."

"What about Skywynne, Marco? Is she okay?" Angie asked. Marco gasped.

"Wait...you don't know where she is?" Marco asked. Star suddenly turned her head in concern, hearing what was just spoken. She ran over to Marco and his family.

"You haven't seen Skywynne since you've been home?" Star asked.

"We thought she was with all of you." Angie said.

"Uh...no. She wanted to stay here." Marco told them, concerned.

"Then...where is she?" Rafael asked. Star looked around the ravaged living room one more time before realizing what happened.

"Oh no." Star spoke.

"Star?" Marco called. Star walked away from Marco and his family.

"No no no no no no. Oh no no no nooooo." Star said in a panic as she paced around. Marco came over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Star? Talk to me. What happened?" Marco asked.

Star took a deep breath.

"I think Skywynne's been kidnapped."


	29. Prank Magic

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 29: Prank Magic**

"Wait, did you just say kidnapped?" Tom asked.

"Yeah because that is _really_ bad." Janna added.

"Yeah. Yeah, I did." Star said. Everyone was in a state of shock. Hearing that one of their friends has been kidnapped is bad news, especially due to the fact that said friend is not even from their own time. This could have major consequences.

"You don't think that Mina-..." Marco wondered. Star didn't want to count that possibility out. It was the one guess that made the most sense.

"Even though I want to say she didn't kidnap her...I can't. She did kidnap Glossaryk after all." Star replied before realizing something extremely important. "Wait a minute...the wand...the magic!" Star spoke in a panic.

"I'll check the wand!" Marco said as he quickly made his way to his room.

"I'll check the magic!" Star spoke, running into the kitchen. Everyone watched as they ran off. Tom and Janna stood there, watching them frantically run.

"And uh...we'll be here!" Tom said.

Star dropped onto her knees once she was in the kitchen, lifting a tile off of the floor, revealing a compartment with the magic stored right inside it. Star let out a breath of relief, knowing that one of the most powerful objects on Earthni right now was safely in her possession.

Marco ran over to the desk in his room, opening a desk drawer. He started to toss everything out of it in a panic. Once he did that, he pulled the top of the secret compartment off. Thankfully, the wand was still there. Marco breathed a sigh of relief as well. Star and Marco then ran back into the living room.

"Still there!" Star and Marco said together.

"Wait, if Mina _did_ kidnap Skywynne, why would she not try to steal the magic and the wand while she was here?" Janna asked.

"Yeah. It makes no sense...unless she did this on purpose." Marco spoke. "Star, we've got to find her."

"I know. I know. Let me think." Star said, looking down at her feet, trying to figure out what to do. She paced back and forth, wondering what she could do to find out where Skywynne is hiding and if Mina actually kidnapped her or not. After a few seconds, she lifted her head and snapped her fingers. "I got it." Star said before walking to the middle of the living room. "Alright, friends...and boyfriend..." Star smirked as she looked at Marco. Marco blushed with an awkward smile as his parents gushed over their son's reaction. "Stand back. I uh...haven't done this spell in a while."

Star took a deep breath, in and out as she spread her arms out slightly. She closed her eyes, trying her best to concentrate.

_I summon the all-seeing eye…_

_To tear a hole into the sky…_

Star started lifted her arms up higher and higher, bringing them above her head. A breeze started to blow through the room as the magical power grew within her. Her hearts began to light up. Marco, Tom, and Janna watched as Star put her magic to work.

_Reveal to me that which is hidden…_

Once her arms were above her head, she brought her arms in front of her, having her palms face away from her body.

_Unveil to me what is forbidden…_

Once she finished the spell, a small blast of magical energy flew from her hands, creating a purple-colored window, allowing a peek into another location on Earthni. Star opened her eyes, seeing that she was successful in her spell.

"Woah...it worked." Star said, quite surprised. Marco, Tom, and Janna came behind her, looking through the portal. Marco's parents started making their way over until Marco stopped them in their tracks.

"How about you guys go upstairs." Marco said. Angie and Rafael raised an eyebrow.

"But...we want to help you. You're our son. We care too much not to do something." Angie asked.

"Look, I appreciate it but I don't want you guys getting involved, especially now that we have Mariposa to look after." Marco said, gesturing his hand towards his baby sister. "I don't want anything to happen to you guys." Marco added as he tickled her belly, making her giggle. They all looked at Mariposa as she started making raspberries with her mouth. Angie and Rafael looked back at Marco.

"Understood. Just...just be careful, sweetie. Okay?" Angie said. Marco walked towards them, giving them all a hug.

"I'll be fine. Trust me. I've been through much worse than this." Marco told them. Angie and Rafael smiled at them before making their way upstairs. Marco came back behind Star, watching as she waved her free hand, changing where the all-seeing eye was located.

"Nope...nope...nuh-uh…" Star spoke as she swiped over and over, not seeing a sight of Skywynne. She started to get frustrated. "Agh, this is going to take forever." Star groaned.

"Star? You have to concentrate." Tom said.

"Uh, Tom? What do you think I'm doing?" Star replied in irritation. Marco thought about something Star told him a while ago. He came close to her, talking quietly.

"Hey. Listen. I just thought of something. Remember how you told me that you used the all-seeing eye to spy on me and Jackie?" Marco asked.

"Oh my gosh, you spied on Marco?" Tom asked Star. Star and Marco's eyes went wide.

"I was wondering what you were doing while I was prepping the seance." Janna added.

"Guys! I'm trying to help her out here." Marco said as he peered at Tom and Janna.

"Oh, right." Tom replied. Marco looked back at Star. He decided to talk at a normal level now that Tom and Janna could hear.

"Anyway...how exactly were you able to find me so fast? You couldn't have known where I was. We weren't even at the dance." Marco spoke.

"What? I don't know. I-" Star replied.

"There has to be something; something that made it so that window knew exactly where to look." Marco said. Star thought for a minute as she kept the all-seeing eye up. She then remembered something.

"Wait a minute." Star said to herself.

"What?" Marco spoke.

"Feelings." Star said.

"I'm sorry?" Janna asked.

"Feelings! Jealousy, sadness, anger! Feelings make the bond between the eye and target stronger! Marco! That's how I was able to find you that quickly!" Star said.

"Then why couldn't you find your mom with it when she went missing?" Tom asked.

"I don't know. I guess if someone forgets who they are or gets amnesia or...you know, something like that, the all-seeing eye can't latch onto that person as easily." Star shrugged before looking back at the portal. She took a deep breath, focusing on Skywynne. She started grunting and groaning, trying her hardest for the all-seeing eye to find her. "Uuuugh I can't do it!"

"You must not have enough emotion in you right now!" Marco said.

"But you have to find her! If you don't, things can get ugly!" Tom said.

"You think I don't know that?!" Star asked.

"Come on, Star! Time could be altered if something happens to Skywynne." Janna added.

"I got that, guys! You're kind of stressing me out here." Star replied, frustrated.

"Life as you know it will be different if it's all affected!" Janna said.

"I knoooooow!" Star exclaimed.

"Think about it, Star! If time changes, we would never have met!" Marco spoke.

Star gasped.

The all-seeing eye started changing locations. Everyone turned and looked at the window, watching it whoosh between locations until

...it stopped.

The window revealed Skywynne, sitting in a wooden chair, tied up with a glowing blue rope. Skywynne was shifting around, trying to get free. Everyone gasped, seeing Skywynne in the condition she was in.

"You found her." Marco said. Star turned to look at Marco before Marco did the same. "So...that's what did it. You thinking about...us never knowing each other?" He asked her.

"Well...yeah. I mean...I love you, Marco." Star said. They both blushed, smiled at each other longingly as their eyes sparkled before Janna tapped their shoulders.

"Uhh...guys?" Janna spoke. Star and Marco turned their heads, seeing a familiar face in front of the all-seeing eye.

"Mina!" Star and Marco exclaimed.

"Guys? Help me!" Skywynne spoke as she squirmed in her chair.

"Quiet, hostage!" Mina said before turning back to Star and her friends. "Lookie here! I knew you and your posse would use that all-seeing eye to find me! So predictable! It's just like Solaria, " Mina spoke in a tantalizing tone.

"Mina? Let go of Skywynne!" Star spoke.

"Well, well, well! Look at poor, poor, Star Butterfly. You really think it's that easy, don't you? How rich! Oh, just ask politely, crack a little smile and pretend like you're the purest and most innocent creature in existence and you'll get whateeeeever you want. Well, it's not that simple, sister!" Mina told them.

"What do you mean by that?" Marco asked, a bit irritated. Mina snickered.

"What do you mean by that!" Mina mocked, repeating Marco's words. "Honestly! What kind of simpleton are you!" Mina replied. Marco growled at her with anger.

"Mina!" Star exclaimed.

"What's the matter? Does the truth hurt too much?" Mina smirked.

"Mina. Please. Can't we just talk? That's all I want to do; talk. No more fighting. No more harm between any of us. Just words." Star told her.

"Oh, we'll talk alright! How about this for words! You give me the magic that you're keeping hidden from the rest of the world! Then, I'll let Skywynne go! If you refuse? Well, say goodbye to your precious queen of the past!" Mina told her as she pointed to Skywynne, looking petrified. Star's eyes went wide.

"Wait. How did you know about-" Star spoke.

"I've studied you for a long time since your two precious worlds merged together. I now know how to get under your skin. I know your weaknesses; your love for your friends and all of monster kind. It's my number one weapon of choice; psychology! The one tactic that will bring forth your ultimate defeat!" Mina said. Marco looked at Star, who was frozen stiff.

"You do realize that if you do anything to Skywynne, it'll affect all of time, right?" Janna asked.

"Duh! Changing time would mean that monsters won't trespass our land and take over our kingdom! Justice will be served as it should've been hundreds of years ago! Mewni will be given back to the Mewmans!" Mina said. "However, if you give me the magic, that won't happen."

"Excuse me. Sorry. What _would_ happen exactly?" Tom asked.

"Oh, of course! A half-monster asks that question! What is it? You worried about your precious monster friends getting what they rightfully deserve?" Mina told her. "I'm not divulging anything! A good soldier keeps their plans confidential!" Tom glared at Mina. Marco looked over at Star.

"...Star?" Marco said. Star started getting fed up with Mina's attitude.

"This is really low, Mina. I mean, why are you doing this? Actually, what is the point of all this! You saw how Solaria helped me destroy the magic! She was on my side, Mina! Not yours! She was _with_ monsters, not against them! At this point, you have nothing and no one to fight for!" Star told her. Mina looked down, contemplating what Star just told her. Star felt as if she was about to have a breakthrough with her before she shook her head, snapping out of it.

"You won't get me out of your hair that easily!" Mina spoke. "You know what? I'll make it easier for you! I'll give you until the sun rises tomorrow morning! Come to the abandoned science facility located in the Echo Creek forest. Bring me the magic or else Skywynne gets it!" Mina started walking away before remembering something else. She turned around, facing the all-seeing eye. "Oh, and don't bring your friends. Come alone." Mina brought her face closer. "Toodles!" She spoke.

"Star! Help!" Skywynne yelled before Mina touched the eye, making it vanish into thin air. Star and her friends gasped, watching as the all-seeing eye disappeared. Star lowered her arms, as her mouth gaped.

"...this is really bad." Tom spoke.

"No, duh, captain obvious. I mean...what are we gonna do?" Janna asked. Marco looked over at Star, who seemed to be at a loss for words. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" Marco asked. Star took a deep breath, staring off into space.

"...this is all my fault." Star spoke.

"Wait, what?" Marco wondered. Star walked over to the sofa and sat down, feeling a strong amount of guilt. Marco, Tom, and Janna came over to her. Marco sat down next to her as Tom and Janna stayed standing. "Star. Tell me what's going on." Marco said, placing his hand on her leg.

"...I never told her where the wand was." Star said. Marco gasped.

"But...you said you were going to tell her." Marco said. Star placed her face in her hands, embarrassed and ashamed.

"Wait, I don't get it." Tom said. "Why did Skywynne have to know where the wand was?" Marco turned to Tom.

"...Skywynne hasn't dipped down yet. She told Star and I not too long ago. Because of that, she...she's not as advanced with magic as Star is. She can't use magic without the wand yet." Marco told them.

"So...if she had the wand she-" Janna spoke.

"She could have defended herself...yeah." Star said. She turned to Marco.

"I still don't get it. What's the harm of giving her the wand? She had it all this time before. Why not give it to her now?" Tom asked.

"...a while ago, I found this spell in her bag...The Spell with No Name. It's one of the most dangerous and destructive spells ever created by any queen. It's hard to control too. You had to see it for yourself. It literally destroys anything in its path. If she decided to use it here, it could mean the destruction of Earthni as we know it. Skywynne doesn't know that though because she's never used it. In fact, she never finished writing it." Star took a breath in and out.

"She had the wand already so there was nothing I could do when I found the spell in her bag. I couldn't just take it from her. But when we hid the wand the other night...I started to think of what would happen if she had it back. I thought...this could be my chance to _really_ prevent that spell from happening." Star groaned, placing her hands on her knees. "I never thought I could be so selfish. I mean, if someone did that to me back when I first came to Earth, I would've been freaking out within a day." Star sat there, feeling nothing but humiliation from her actions.

"Hey, it's okay. We all make mistakes." Marco said.

"Yeah. Like how Marco kissed you in that photo booth when you were dating Tom." Janna said. Marco peered his eyes at Tom.

"...you told her, didn't you…" Marco asked. Tom shed an awkward smile as he shrugged.

"Uhhhhh...no?" Tom spoke. Marco rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, the point is that it's okay to mess up. What you have to focus on is how to make up for that mistake, which I know you're capable of." Marco said, smiling at her. Star rubbed her right arm with her hand while shifting her glance to Marco.

"So...you guys aren't going to do something like, I don't know, abandon me out of anger or something like that?" Star asked.

"Why would you ever think that? Come on, Star. I love you! You know that." Marco said as he proceeded to hug her. He pulled back for a second. "Yeah, I should've responded with that after you said the same thing to me but...you know."

"Yeah. I know." Star replied as she grabbed him tighter, She closed her eyes and sighed. Tom and Janna stood there awkwardly.

"And uh...we uh...value your friendship!" Tom spoke.

"And Marco's credit card info." Janna said.

"What was that?" Tom asked.

"Nothing." Janna replied. Marco let go of Star, who seemed to be doing much better knowing that her friends were still at her side.

"Okay…" Star said before getting up. "We need to come up with a plan."

"Well, we have two choices here. Option one; We give Mina the magic so that she'll take over Earthni and every living thing on this planet. Then there's option two; we don't give Mina the magic, meaning that Skywynne will be finished which also means time would be completely rewritten dating all the way back to Skywynne's reign." Janna said.

"See, now both options sound bad." Tom said. Star walked around a little bit, thinking this all through.

"Or…" Star spoke.

"Or?" Marco repeated.

"...we come up with an option three." Star said, confidently.

"Right...what?" Tom asked.

"Mina's trying to fool us. Why don't we try fooling her." Star said.

"Wait. I got this." Janna said before taking her backpack off her back, grabbing a metal flame torch out of it. Marco gasped.

"You're so amazing." Tom breathed, in love with the image of Janna holding something that can light things on fire.

"Janna! Where did that come from!?" Marco asked in total shock.

"Dude, you can find these in any hardware store. What kind of person do you take me for?" Janna asked, acting offended.

"I just have two words;...suspicious and conniving." Marco responded, peering his eyes at her.

"Really? That's so thoughtful." Janna replied, putting a hand to her heart.

"Janna? We don't need the flamethrower." Star told her.

"This is actually a flame _torch_ , Star…...but if you needed a flamethrower I got one in the car outsi-" Janna said.

"What the heck!" Marco exclaimed.

"No, Janna. No." Star said.

"I mean, I could tell you all the strategies I had for kidnapping Marco to send him to his doom." Tom said.

"WHAT?!" Marco yelled.

"Woah! Chill, dude. This was when I hated you." Tom told him, holding his hands up in front of him.

"Oh...wait, what does that have to do with anything? We're not kidnapping anybody!" Marco spoke.

"I don't know. I just thought some tactics would be useful in this situation." Tom replied.

"Guys!" Star exclaimed. Everyone became silent. "We need a plan. That's all; a well thought-out plan." Star spoke. They all started to think, wondering what they could do to trick Mina and free Skywynne from her grasp. Janna suddenly snapped her fingers.

"Fake magic." Janna said.

"What?" Star asked.

"Fake magic! We give Mina fake magic instead of the real one. It's a classic." Janna told them. Her three friends gave her raised eyebrows. "I mean making something that's fake. Not fake magic. Jeez."

"I guess we could do that." Tom added.

"Wait, but what if Mina knows it's the real magic as soon as we give it to her? That would

be bad." Marco spoke.

"He's right." Glossaryk spoke, appearing right behind them.

"Ah!" They all exclaimed.

"Glossaryk! Stop being...you know...this!" Star told him, waving her hands in front of him.

"Well, that hurts my feelings. I've been trying to change my image, you know." Glossaryk said. "This robe is new. I spent...well I actually spent nothing on it." Glossaryk lightly chuckled. "I just made it appear."

"Okay. One? You know that's not what I meant." Star said. "Two; how is he right? I mean, Marco? I do believe you."

"Thank you." Marco told her.

"But why do _you_ think he's right? There has to be a catch." Star asked. Glossaryk took a breath in and out.

"Fine. If I have to explain myself." Glossaryk spoke before Star rolled her eyes. He snapped his fingers, making a sort of fog appear above him. Images appeared through the fog, almost as if the fog was a television screen. "Mina has been around since Queen Solaria, which means that she has been around for hundreds of years. With those years comes knowledge that you four don't even realize she possesses."

"Wait, when were you able to do that?" Marco asked, pointing at the fog above him. Glossaryk made a straight face, deciding to ignore his question.

"Solaria turned Mina into the ultimate warrior, having her go through a three-stage metamorphosis. This metamorphosis took a toll on Mina, causing her to lose all her fear...as well as her conscience." Glossaryk explained as images in the fog displayed Mina's metamorphosis.

"Wait...so that's why she's insane!" Tom said.

"Correct." Glossaryk spoke. Marco looked over at Star, noticing that she was deep in thought.

"Star?" Marco spoke.

"...I wonder if there's a way to bring that fear and conscience back into her mind." Star said.

"Star? Listen. I know you want to save Mina but-" Marco told her. Star sighed.

"Yeah. I know. I just feel bad for her. I mean, you heard Glossaryk. It's not her fault she's the way she is. It was Solaria who did this to her. She was absolutely normal before she went through that metamorphosis." Star hesitated to speak.

"We'll figure it out, Star. I promise. Let's just focus on saving Skywynne right now. One thing at a time." Marco said.

"You're right." Star said before turning to Glossaryk. "Sorry. Go on."

"As I was saying, Mina cannot be easily fooled. She will know fake magic when she sees it. So 'fake magic' as you call it won't be enough to fool her." Glossaryk told them. He snapped his fingers, making the fog disappear.

"Hold on...I got an idea." Janna said. "Star? Anyway, you can place a magical spell on fake magic?"

"I guess? Why? What are you thinking?" Star asked.

"We step it up a little bit. We don't just make fake magic. We make the fake magic into a trap." Janna told her. "...prank magic."

"Of course you would think that." Marco said.

"Wait, wait! That's actually a good idea!" Star told her. "See, this is one of the reasons why we have you around." Star added as she patted Janna on the back.

"I'm good at what I do." Janna said.

"Okay. So, we're going to hand her the fake magic and before she even has the chance to notice it's fake, the trap will do...something." Tom said.

"And when Mina falls victim to the fake magic, we'll grab Skywynne and get out of there." Star added.

"Wait, what if the plan backfires? What if the prank doesn't work? You're going to be all alone in there, remember? Mina said she wants you to come alone." Marco said.

"You're right. I'll call some friends. I'm hoping you guys will be there too, right?" Star asked.

"Yeah. We gotcha." Tom said.

"Coolness. Still, I think we need more than just the four of us to handle this." Star said.

"We also have those 15 guys to deal with." Janna said.

"Ah, I forgot about them." Star said as she facepalmed her forehead. "Maybe I can make it so the fake magic immobilizes everyone in the room except me and Skywynne." Star added. "That would make it easier for us to grab Skywynne and go."

"You know, I think this might just work!" Marco said, optimistic.

"Yeah. I feel confident with this." Star said. "Okay. Janna? You still know how to make fake magic?" Star asked.

"Please. I've made it many times...except it was blue but still, it glowed and sparkled just like the real thing." Janna said.

"Wait...should I be afraid to ask why you've made fake magic?" Marco asked. Janna shrugged.

"Some students from Echo Creek Academy didn't believe me when I said magic exists so...yeah. Made my own...and I might've had it explode all in their faces but-" Janna spoke.

"Dude, I love youuu." Tom breathed again, loving the fact that Janna did this as he came closer to her with open arms before she took her hand, put it on his face, and pushed him back.

"Not the time, Tom." Janna said with a straight face, making Tom fall over and yelped.

"Focus, guys. Janna? Tom? Go make that magic. Marco? You're with me." Star said, pointing to all of them as she spoke their names. Janna and Tom went into the kitchen as Star and Marco sat on the sofa. Star took out her phone and started dialing.

"So, who are you going to call?" Marco asked.

"My dad." Star said. Marco looked over at Star's phone.

"Buuut it says Mom." Marco said as he watched her phone video dial.

"Dad's with Mom right now." Star told him.

"Ohhh." Marco sounded. Suddenly, two pairs of eyes came up on the phone.

"Star! How's my girl!" River spoke loudly.

"Dad! Uh, dad? You're way too close, can you uh-" Star said, motioning her hand for him to back up.

"What? I see you just fine!" River told her.

"No, Dad. No. All I see are your eyes...staring at me." Star said.

"Dude, just back the phone away from you a bit." Marco said.

"Marco! You're there too! Haha!" River said.

"Dad? Back the phone away." Star said. River did what he was told, making it so his entire face was shown. "There you go."

"Is this better, sweetheart?" River asked.

"Yes." Star and Marco spoke together.

"No, Marco. No. I didn't call you sweetheart. That would be strange and...and awkward." River said. Marco made a straight face.

"Dad? Focus. I need to talk to you. It's urgent." Star told him.

"Urgent?!" River spoke loudly before the phone instantly dropped.

"Dad? Dad!" Star yelled.

"Sweetie pie!" River said, standing right in front of them.

"AH!" Star and Marco both shouted, jumping in their seats as Star's phone flew out of her hands. Star picked up her phone and pressed the end button as she glared at her father.

"Dad! Seriously! That's creepy!" Star said.

"Well, when my daughter is in trouble, a true father comes as soon as he can." River said.

"Yeah, but how did you get here so-" Marco spoke before being interrupted.

"Good! Okay, we need to ask you something." Star said.

"Are we not even going to question how he-" Marco tried speaking again.

"Ask away!" River said. Marco facepalmed.

"Skywynne's captured in an abandoned science facility. Didn't you say you rescued Glossaryk at some sort of base?" Star said.

"Yes. In fact, that place did look somewhat like a science facility, especially considering the fact that I saw some eyeballs in a jar." River said. Marco thought to himself.

"Eyeballs in a jar...Star! We've been there before! Remember when we went all over town looking for Tom and Janna?" Marco asked. Star pointed at Marco, recalling that time.

"Oh yeeeaah! We _were_ there!" Star said before turning to her father. "Okay, Dad. I'll fill you in. Marco? Can you check on Tom and Janna?"

"Sure." Marco said before standing up and walking into his kitchen. Tom and Janna were standing by the counter, mixing up some ingredients in a jar. Marco walked over to the counter. "So...how's the magic coming."

"It's coming along. We're almost done actually." Tom said. Marco looked at their so-called 'fake magic' with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh...but it doesn't look anything like-" Marco said before Janna held up a finger. She took a pair of safety goggles behind her back and handed them over to Marco. "Put these on."

"Wait, why?" Marco asked, putting on the safety goggles.

"Ugh, dude. Be patient."She replied as she and Tom put on safety goggles as well. Janna then put her hands behind her back, grabbing her metal flame torch.

"Go." Janna said as Tom added a powder to the mixture. Janna turned on the torch, setting the flame right next to the jar. Suddenly, the mixture in the jar started to bubble.

"Is this safe?" Marco asked.

"Don't worry. This has happened before." Janna said.

"Ooooohhh no. Janna?!" Marco spoke..

"Three...two…one. DUCK!" Janna exclaimed as she and Tom took cover.

"AH!" Marco said, dropping to the floor, covering her head. Suddenly, he heard a small explosion coming from the island. Marco, Janna, and Tom peeked their heads up from the edge of the counter. The liquid was everywhere; on the walls, on the cabinets, on the countertops...absolutely everywhere you looked. After a few seconds, the jar of fake magic started glowing yellow, just as if it was the real thing.

"Just like last time." Janna said

" _THIS_ IS WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME!?" Marco said.

"Yeah. Why?" Janna asked. Marco took a towel from beside him, wiped off some of the liquid from the countertop, and face-planted right onto it. Star and River came into the kitchen, looking at the jar of fake magic.

"Woah! You did it!" Star asked.

"Is no one noticing how my parent's kitchen is TOTALLY DESTROYED!?" Marco asked, muffled as his face was still smushed against the countertop.

"Wait, how are they still asleep?" Janna asked.

"They're heavy sleepers." Marco added. Star held her hand up in the air, powering it up with some magic. She waved it around, making all of the mess magically disappear. Marco lifted his head, seeing that the kitchen was clean. "Oh...right. Magic. Forgot." Marco said. Star came closer to the magic look-alike, observing it at every corner.

"This is...uncanny!" Star said. "Nice job, Janna." Star said as she and Janna bumped fist.

"Hey, I excel at my craft." Janna said. "Well Star, time to put an immobilization spell on it."

"Wait, wait. I need to test it out first." Star said. She turned her gaze to Marco, smirking.

"What?" Marco asked. He realized what was about to happen. "No...wait no! Star! No!"

* * *

"Star! Not my Galactic Kung Fu Doll! It's a limited edition! I paid $650 for that! It's going to be worth muchos dineros in the future!" Marco told her.

"Would you rather I do this spell on a living thing?" Star asked, trying to make a point.

"...no." Marco said, crossing his arms as he regretted letting her possibly pulverize his beloved possession. They all were outside to test out Star's spells on the fake magic. Placed about 10 feet away from her was the fake magic. To the left of it was Marco's Galactic Kung Fu doll, ready to step towards the magic. He started to wince. "...ah okay! I can't look!" He exclaimed as he covered his eyes.

"Marco, chill. I can recreate your doll like I did back on Mewni!" Star added. "Besides, we need something that moves on its own to see if this spell works." She added.

"Oh! Well, I mean, if that's the case, then go for it!" Marco said, feeling a lot better knowing it can be recreated if something happens to it. Then he wondered something. "Wait, then why didn't you just create another one yourse-"

"Genetic Grappling Grasp!" Star yelled as she thrusted her hands towards the magic. The magical energy from her hands traveled into the fake magic. "Okay, Tom. Go." Tom went over to the kung fu doll, taking the crank on its back and turning it, making it walk forward towards the fake magic. Once it touched the magic, a bright light shone from it.

"Ah!" Marco exclaimed as everyone shielded their eyes. Once the light was gone, everyone opened their eyes to see the results. Marco opened his eyes only a little bit to take a quick peek, seeing that his treasure...was disintegrated. Marco then proceeded to faint.

"Marco!" River exclaimed, trying to get Marco out of his state of unconsciousness.

"Ugh noooo. Do I have to do a longer version? That takes more thought." Star said, dropping her head.

"Maybe. Good thing we made a few back-ups." Janna said, taking another one over, placing it where the last bit of fake magic sat. She got out of the way once everything was in place. Star lifted her head. "Okay…" She whispered. She lifted her hands again, recreating a few more dolls to test her magic on. "Think, think, think…you have to make a spell that will immobilize Mina and the fifteen men...and no one else." She said to herself quietly. "Alright, Star. Keep the kung fu dolls in your mind." Star shook her hands, loosening them up before taking a deep breath in and out. She held her arms out in front of her once again.

_Once held in the victim's hand…_

_Still as statues on demand…_

A beam of light started to grow from her palms.

_Fifteen friends that are with you..._

_Make them stiff and solid too…_

The magic resembled little tiny molecules, making its way into the magic.

"Go Tom!" Star said before Tom turned the crank of all the kung fu dolls, turning the crank of the kung fu doll closest to the magic last. The dolls started to march, including the doll closest to the magic. Everyone waited in anticipation to see what would happen. Once the doll touched the magic, all of the dolls started to become stiff. Electric currents surrounded them as they became immobile.

The spell worked. Star put her hands down, back at her side. She couldn't believe that spell did the trick.

"Well...that spell sounds a bit darker than your other spells...but it worked!" Marco said happily.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Star asked, turning her gaze to Marco.

"Star...come on. Bunny Rabbit Blast?" Marco said.

"Okay...yeah. You have a point." Star said.

"Pile Driver Panda explosion?" Marco added.

"Marco? We get it." Star spoke.

"Bacon Kitty Hawaiian Nightmare? I mean, come on! They're all adorable!" Marco said.

"You're the one to talk, Mr. Kitten Bomb." Star smirked, knowing she got him there.

"...okay, you're right." Marco replied, knowing that Star already won the debate. Everyone came closer to the Galactic Kung Fu dolls, observing them in their frozen state.

"So, this means we're ready to go right?" Janna said.

"I think so. What do you think?" Tom said, looking at Star.

"Yeah. I think we're good to go." Star said before putting her hair in a ponytail, getting ready for some action. "Alright. Let's do this."

"Awesome!...can we please clean my backyard first though?" Marco asked.


	30. Lifeline

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 30: Lifeline**

"Marco! Have you seen my belt?" Star asked as she scrambled around Marco's room, searching for it. Immediately after they figured out how to put a spell on the prank magic, they decided to get ready to rescue Skywynne. They refused to wait until morning to save her.

"Your what?" Marco asked as he lounged on his bed, browsing through the internet on his laptop.

"My belt! To this dress!" Star said as she pointed to the dress she was wearing; the green dress Eclipsa gave her.

"Don't know. Haven't seen it lately." Marco shrugged. Star groaned.

"Well, I'm going to find it one way or another." Star said While opening one of the drawers from the dresser, throwing shirt after shirt out of it. Marco gasped, taking his laptop off his lap as he got up from his bed.

"Star!" Marco called. "You're-" He was interrupted by a sudden shirt hitting his face. "You're ruining my system!" He exclaimed.

"System?" Star repeated. Marco walked over to the dressers, opening another drawer filled with neatly folded shirts.

"I organize all my clothes by color, season, and fabric." Marco said as he gestured his hands like he was revealing a prize on a game show. Star raised an eyebrow.

"Sooooooo you separate cotton from polyester?" Star asked.

"Mmm-hmm." Marco hummed proudly.

"...huh. I just organize by...wait, wait, hold on, no I don't!" Star said before chuckling. Marco started putting the shirts back in the other drawer, folding them up nicely before placing them in it.

"Seriously, Star. Why do you need this belt so bad?" Marco asked.

"Marco...look at me." Star said. Marco turned his head and observed her before shrugging.

"...yeah...I'm looking at you." Marco replied before looking back at his dresser, continuing to organize his clothes. Star face-palmed.

"The ensemble's not complete. It needs an accessory or else it just looks-" Star turned to the mirror on the other side of the wall, making a grimacing face. "...off." She continued. Marco shook his head in amusement.

"See, Star, this...is my accessory." Marco spoke as he tugged the collars of his hoodie. "It works with everything, not to mention it's comfortable, breathable, and easy to wash." He said proudly as he posed with it, turning around to show the back of his hoodie.

"You seriously can't part with that thing, can you?" Star asked. Marco turned back around, facing Star.

"Seriously, you know how hard it is to go to a formal event without my hoodie? I feel so...exposed." Marco asked. Star chuckled before continuing her search for her belt while Marco went back to organizing his clothes. Janna suddenly came upstairs.

"Hey." Janna spoke.

"Oh, hey." Marco said before realizing something. "Waiiit a minute. You know I have rules about you going in my room!"

"Marco? Just let her in." Star told him.

"Yeah. Like...harsh, man." Janna said, acting offended. Marco groaned.

"Fiiiine." Marco replied before gesturing his hand, signaling for her to come in. Janna walked in through the doorway.

"So, I think I got something that might come in handy for our little mission here." Janna said.

"Liiiiiike?" Star asked. Janna reached behind her back, revealing Star's narwhal belt in her hands. Star gasped.

"Janna!" Star yelled.

"You never stop, do you?" Marco said, peering his eyes at her.

"Hold up." Janna said, holding her free hand up in the air. "You'll be okay with it once I tell you what I did with it." Janna said. She handed Star the belt. "Put it on." Star started at the belt before taking it in her hands.

* * *

"I installed a high-tech mini surveillance camera into the eye of the narwhal buckle..." Janna said as Star observed the belt. Janna took out her laptop and pressed a few keys before turning the screen in her direction. "-so we can see everything that you see." Star, now wearing her narwhal belt, looked down at it. She bent forward so she was looking directly at the camera.

"Woooooah." Star whispered excitedly. On the screen, Star's face was shown very close with her eyes sparkling with interest. Marco looked down at Star, who was being her usual silly self as she giggled.

"I have to admit, Janna. That is pretty cool." Marco said as he turned his head to Janna. "But, why not use something like an earpiece?"

"Come on. It's too obvious. If someone were to search Star at the facility, they would see the earpiece right away." Janna said.

"Good point." Marco said.

"Besides, I wanted to up my hidden camera game after what I did with the last one." Janna said.

"Let me guess...it's still somewhere on me isn't it?" Marco asked.

"Did I say that?" Janna said.

"Yes!" Marco exclaimed.

"Huh...or are you just paranoid thinking that I said that?" Janna asked. Star lifted her head to look at Marco.

"You know, she has a point. You are a safe kid." Star added, pointing at Marco.

"That's different, Star!" Marco spoke.

"Is it though?" Janna asked.

"YES!" Marco exclaimed.

"Moooving on. So, you'll be able to see everything I see when I go into that facility?" Star asked just to clarify.

"That is what I said, unless there's an interference with the connection or if the camera breaks. It should be fine though. They shouldn't be able to detect it." Janna said.

"Sweet." Star said. "Alright." Star fiddled with her belt a bit to make it comfortable. "Wait, where's Tom?"

* * *

"Oh...Truffles. Ricardo doesn't deserve you!" Tom sobbed, hugging his knees as he sat on the sofa in the living room, watching the soap opera Skywynne was watching.

* * *

"...right." Star said. "Marco? You ready?" Marco took his hoodie off and tied it around his neck like a cape.

"Oh, I'm ready...ready to show Mina that I'm not a simpleton. That's for sure." Marco said.

"Are you really taking what she said seriously?" Star asked.

"I graduated from Echo Creek Academy early! I learned to read an ancient text by dimensional scholars back when I was on Dimension x-103 tracking down Heckapoo! I'm not dense!" Marco said. "I mean, I have the intelligence of a 35-year-old! I'm smart!"

"No one doubts your high intelligence, Marco." Star said. "Let's go guys." She added as they walked out of Marco's room.

"Let's see her wrestle a wolf-bear in the neverzone. Like, really-" Marco mumbled quietly.

"Marco!" Star yelled, hinting for him to stop.

"Sorry!" Marco replied.

* * *

Star, Marco, Tom, and Janna all got into Tom's black convertible, making their way towards the abandoned science facility. Star's dad stayed back at the house in case there was any trouble. The gang decided to park a little farther away from the building as a precaution. Mina wanted Star to be alone. If Mina caught sight of Star's friends, there would be trouble.

The science facility was located about half a mile within the Echo Creek woods. The group parked a little farther away from it, getting out once the car was halted. Janna grabbed her backpack from the back seat, opening it and taking out her laptop. She opened it up, pressing a few keys before Star's narwhal belt camera feed appeared on the screen. The camera was working.

"Okay. Camera's good." Janna spoke.

"Good. Tom? I need the magic." Star said.

"Gotcha." Tom replied before reaching in Janna's backpack again, carefully taking out the jar of prank magic and handing it to Star.

"Thanks." Star replied. "So, once this jar is held in Mina's hands, she and her friends should be immobilized." Star told them as she looked closely at the jar of magic. She turned to Marco. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" She asked.

"Sure." Marco replied as he and Star walked a little farther away to talk in private. They stopped, turning to face each other. "Everything okay?" He asked her. Star sighed.

"I don't know what's going to happen when I get there. Janna said that the camera in this belt shouldn't malfunction but...she doesn't know Mina like I do. So...if anything happens to me, I need you to come and get me." Star said.

"...you think something's going to happen?" Marco told her, a little anxious.

"That's why I need you to be my backup in case anything goes wrong. It's like when I was going into Butterfly mode in my sleep that one time, remember?" Star explained.

"So, I'm your lifeline again?" Marco asked, not liking the thought of his girlfriend getting hurt or something along those lines.

"Yup. If you see the camera go down or notice Mina about to do something sneaky, come get me." Star told him. Marco looked down, a bit distraught. "...Marco?" She said, noticing he was a little worried. He let out a sigh.

"...I promised your mom that I would protect you and take care of you." Marco told her before looking up at her. "I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe." Marco smiled before taking her free hand in his. "You can count on me."

"I know." Star said. She and Marco leaned in and gave each other a quick kiss before looking into one another's eyes.

"Love you." Star said.

"Love you, too." Marco replied as Star stroked his cheek for a quick second.

"Well, wish me luck." Star said before turning to Janna and Tom. "Are we good to go guys?"

"Check!" Janna said.

"Alright." Star took a deep breath in and out. "I'll be back." Star said before taking her hand and thrusting it away from her.

"Summoning cloudy charm!" Star exclaimed. Cloudy suddenly appeared in front of Star.

"Hey Star!" Cloudy spoke.

"Cloudy! Long time no see, friend." Star said as she got on top of her cumulonimbus friend. "Let's go, buddy." She spoke. Marco watched her float away, feeling a bit of distress. Tom came behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"We got her back, dude. Don't worry." Tom said.

"I know, Tom. I just get the feeling that...something's going to happen." Marco told him.

"Ohhh. Safe kid's intuition?" Tom replied.

"Okay, why is everyone calling me a safe kid so much lately?" Marco asked as he walked away.

"Because you are?" Tom replied.

"Shut it." Marco spoke.

* * *

Star, floating on top of Cloudy, continued making her way to the facility while using a bit of magic to cast light from her hands. She traveled a little more till she caught sight of the facility. The building looked eerie with vines and foliage almost covering it completely. The light outside near the door flickered slightly, casting a slight glow around the facility. Star felt turned off by the looks of the place, although she was there before looking for Tom and Janna. This time was the first time she actually sensed danger at this place.

"Yeah...that's not creepy at all." Star said.

"Uhhh...yeah. You're on your own. I'm out!" Cloudy said before he poofed away.

"Wha-! Cl-Cloudy! Cloudy?!" Star exclaimed quietly. She sighed as she continued to walk towards the building, slowly and carefully. She arrived at the door, which was already open and falling off its hinges. She peeked her head in the building before walking through it. Star stopped, looking around at the entryway, just to make sure it was safe to enter. It was just the same as when she was here last time, looking for Janna and Tom. The walls were white with little bits of paint missing from it. Photo frames hung crookedly from the tile floor was grey with little bits of the stone chipped from it. The room was a bit dark and had an old smell to it, like something resembling mildew or mold. It was also a bit dusty, making Star wave her hands a bit. Suddenly, she felt like she was going to sneeze. Star immediately held her finger underneath her nose.

"Oh, don't you dare." Star whispered to her nose. "Okay...wheeeere to goooo." She wondered. Star's eyes wandered, looking for a hint of where she should be heading. She caught sight of a door to her left, slightly open, seeing a flickering light behind it.

"Was that...there before?" Star wondered. She made her way over quietly and cautiously, feeling a sense of danger in this place. She was about to open the door until...

"Wait." She said to herself quietly. Star thought that maybe the door would creak super loud if she opened it now. She snapped her fingers as an idea came to her. She put the prank magic down for a second before putting her hands near the hinges of the door.

"Cotton Candy Silencer." Star spoke before magic appeared from her hands, going towards the hinges. The hinges were suddenly covered in rainbow cotton candy in a matter of seconds. She observed her work really quickly before attempting to open the door. Once she felt safe to do so, Star opened the door very slowly, happy to hear nothing coming from the door, breathing a sigh of relief. She looked down, seeing a flight of stairs going down to some sort of basement. A flickering light lit at the very bottom of the staircase.

"Ew. I hate basements." Star spoke.

* * *

Janna watched the camera feed on her laptop while Marco and Tom were a few feet away, eating some snacks they brought with them.

"Woah. It's like they're...they're...popping in my mouth." Tom told Marco with a full mouth of food. "What are these again?" He asked, pointing to the bag.

"Sugar seeds…" Marco said with a full mouth as well. "...explosive edition." Marco smirked as he shook his bag of sugar seeds. Marco swallowed his food before calling out to Janna. "How's Star doing, Janna?"

"Dude, you asked that 2 minutes ag-" Janna started.

"Yes. I know. I just want to keep tabs on her, okay?" Marco asked.

"Well, if that's the case, why don't you just watch it instead of me?" Janna asked.

"Because you won't let me because you think I out of all people would steal information from your computer?" Marco asked, repeating what she said not too long ago.

"You did say that...which is weird because you're normally the one that does that." Tom added, backing his friend up.

"...eh." She shrugged. "Anyway, she's going into some sort of basement." Janna said.

"Wait. What basement?" Marco asked in a slight panic. He and Tom immediately came over to see what was on the camera feed.

"I don't know. She's walking down the staircase now." Janna said. They all observed the camera feed closely.

"Wait a minute…" Marco said.

"What?" Janna asked.

"That doesn't look familiar. Which way did she go when she walked in?" Marco asked.

"Left? I think?" Janna said.

"What's so important about that?" Tom asked.

"That area was blocked off by wood paneling when we went there last time." Marco said. "...which means that Mina must have set her base up there recently." Suddenly, there was a rustle in the foliage nearby.

"Wait, what was that?" Tom asked. Marco, Tom, and Janna looked around, wondering what was hiding in the bushes.

Three large men revealed themselves, coming out of the bushes with hardened fists.

"We got company!" Marco exclaimed.

* * *

Star made it to the bottom of the staircase, coming to a long, dark hallway with a single flickering light swaying side to side from the ceiling. The decor wasn't nearly as nice as it was upstairs. The walls were made of cement while the floor was still the same tile, except it looked like it was covered in dirt. It's almost as if the last people to come into this part of the abandoned facility trashed the entire hallway. Nothing was hanging on the walls. A few doors were in the hallway, leading to multiple rooms. The doors were actually made of strong metal instead of wood. Star guessed it was just in case of a science experiment going horribly wrong. Each door had a knob with a keyhole. This facility must have been running ages ago since most science facilities have keycard readers nowadays. All the rooms were closed and locked off

...except for one.

Star noticed the open room, taking her time as she went towards it. Although Skywynne was in trouble and she wanted to save her right away, she wasn't sure if something were to fall on her head or put herself in any danger. As Star walked, she noticed signs on each of the doors containing a letter and a number; E-1, E-2, E-3, and so on. Some of the doors had a giant hazard sign smack dab in the middle of them. As Star got closer to the open room, she noticed the sign above it. She read it aloud.

"Storage…huh." Star said to herself quietly. She peeked her head into the room to see what was inside, but it was too dark to see anything at all. She decided to walk in to figure out what was in there, thinking she could if she got closer. Suddenly, the door closed behind her with a slam, making everything pitch black.

"Welcome, Star Butterfly!" A voice said in the room. A light overhead turned on, revealing Mina, standing on the other side of the room with her arms crossed. A few of her men stood behind her.

* * *

The three men started to come closer to Marco, Tom, Janna, who were standing stiff, figuring out what to do. Marco decided to take command.

"Okay, I'll take the one on the right. Tom? You take the one on the left. Janna? You take the guy in the middle." Marco told his friends. Janna gave him a raised eyebrow.

"Wait, who put you in charge?" Janna asked.

"Um, excuse me but I've been through way more combat situations than you." Marco replied.

"Really? How much?" Tom asked, curious.

"Try almost 17 years?" Marco exclaimed.

"Ah...so wait, who am I taking down again? They all look the same." Tom asked.

"Fine. Let's make this simple." He started pointing to the men. "Tom? #1. Janna? #2. I'll take #3. Does that work?" Marco asked.

"Oh, yeah. That works." Tom replied, nodding his head. The men began to charge at them.

"Don't let them get back to Mina!" Marco yelled. The three of them all prepared themselves for their opponents. They all yelled a battle cry as they charged closer to them, ready to defend themselves.

Marco put his karate skills into action. The large man tried grabbing Marco from above. Marco dove down and slid under the man's legs so he could get behind him. He then stood up and kicked him hard in the back, knocking him down.

Tom snapped his fingers, setting his hands ablaze right in front of his opponent.

"You know that playing with fire is unsafe, right?" Tom asked.

"Ooo, good taunt!" Marco said, hearing Tom's clever use of words.

"Why, thank you." Tom replied before lifting himself up off the ground, forming a fire circle around the large man. The man looked around, trying to figure out how to get out of Tom's flaming trap.

Janna took her backpack from the car and reached into it to grab something.

"Hey. How do you like dynamite?" Janna asked, taking four sticks of dynamite out of her backpack, holding two in each hand.

"Seriously, Janna?!" Marco yelled. Janna's opponent turned his head to Marco.

"What? I thought it would come in handy." Janna shrugged. Marco's opponent tried to throw a fist punch at Marco's face. Marco blocked the punch, using all his strength to keep it from hitting him.

"You're not blowing the guy up, Janna!" Marco told her as he struggled to hold the fist back. He was able to push the guy back after a few seconds. Janna sighed in annoyance.

"Ugh. Fine." Janna said.

"Enough talk." The man said. Janna turned his head to the man.

"Woah. Dude. I wasn't even talking to you." Janna said.

"Yes, you were. You were just a few seconds ago." The man replied.

"You sure? Or was that your mind playing games with you? Maybe I was talking to your friend over there." Janna said, pointing to Marco's opponent. The man turned to his ally.

"Was she talking to you?" He asked. His cohort shook his head before the man turned his head back to Janna.

"See? You were talking to me." The man told her.

"Are you sure your friend isn't lying though?" Janna asked, smirking.

"Okay, why would he lie?!" The man asked. Marco, noticing that Janna was playing mind games with her opponent, shook his head and rolled his eyes.

Marco continued battling his rival, blocking every punch and kick he tried to throw at him. He tried conveniently making his way to Janna's laptop to see what was going on with Star. Marco continued stepping back until he was able to see the screen on the laptop. He gasped.

The feed was down.

"Oh no...Star!" Marco spoke. The man began to throw a punch at him before Marco put his focus back on who was in front of him, dodging the punch as he ducked. "Tom!" Marco yelled. As Tom's opponent was surrounded by fire, Tom ran over to Marco. He took his fire powers and started throwing it at Marco's adversary's feet, making him step back more and more.

"Star's in trouble. I need you and Janna to handle these three guys on your own." Marco told him. Tom made a serious face.

"You got it." Tom replied. The two men were able to escape their fiery traps, making their

way to Marco and Tom, who noticed they were coming for them. Tom turned to Marco.

"I'll distract them. Go!" Tom said before floating in the air. "Hey! You call those muscles! You two look like you could use some more protein shakes!" Tom yelled at the men. The two men got really angry at Tom's remark. They started to charge at Tom, who was diverting them away from Marco. Marco began to run as fast as he could over to the science facility. He ran past Janna, who was still trying to confuse her rival.

"So...you really think that I should take that accountant position?" The man asked her. He was totally distracted.

"Oh, without question." Janna responded.

* * *

"That's a surprise! You followed my instructions to the letter!" Mina said to Star, who stood there a bit surprised, not expecting Mina to appear in total surprise like that. Star loosened her pose, starting to get serious.

"...hello, Mina." Star spoke. She looked at Mina's comrades behind her. "Hello...uh...what are your names again?" Star asked.

"Oh...I'm Phil." One of the men replied.

"Brad." Another man added.

"Dylan-" A third one started.

"Shush!" Mina yelled at the men. "Well, you're here. You have what I want. I'm waiting! Chop, chop!" Mina said to Star, gesturing for her to bring the magic to her. Star put a hand on her hip, pulling the prank magic closer to her.

"Not until I see Skywynne." Star replied, glaring at Mina.

"Oh, ty-pi-cal! I knew that's what you would say! That's why I have your precious queen all ready for you." Mina told her. "Bring her out, boys!" Mina yelled behind her. A door behind Mina opened. Five more men came out, holding a tied up Skywynne tight so she couldn't escape.

"Star!" Skywynne called. She tried to run to Star, but the men held her back. Star smiled, seeing that Skywynne was okay.

"Now, we both have what each other wants. Bring it over! I'm waiting!" Mina said.

"Nope. Nuh-uh. I'll hand you the magic the same time you give me Skywynne." Star said.

"Aw, what's the matter? I thought you were a fan of mine not too long ago!" Mina told her.

"I was...until you wanted to take over Earth and become an evil dictator." Star replied.

"That world would've been a lot better off with me in charge! So would this one! I would demand order and respect! Monsters would no longer treat our people like dirt!" Mina said.

"But they never did! Mina! Come on! You don't see the monsters for who they really are! You're blind to it! Solaria's metamorphosis changed you! You never used to be like this!" Star said. Mina suddenly went deep in thought. Star noticed that she was starting to take Star's words to heart. "...and you know that...don't you?" Star asked. Mina was lost in her head, thinking about what Star told her until she slightly shook her head, suddenly snapping out of it.

"Solaria did what was best for me. She made me strong! She made me a true soldier-" Mina replied.

"-and someone who's lost all care for anyone else. Don't you realize that you have no conscience anymore? No fear of hurting anyone? You're making decisions that hurt not just monsters but your own people! Don't you realize that? My own family, the family that you pledged an oath to protect; you tried to kill us! What does that say about what you've turned into, huh? Does that sound like a good Mewman soldier to you?!" Star asked. Mina hesitated for a second.

"Times change. You're not like Solaria. None of your family is." Mina stopped for a few seconds. "You're all weak...unlike me! You all fall victim to the monster's games...unlike me! And guess what, Star Butterfly? I'm not falling for your games either! Give me the magic or Skywynne will pay for it!" Mina said, grabbing Skywynne by the arm.

"Star? Please!" Skywynne spoke, fearing for her very life. Star felt so heartbroken that she couldn't get through to Mina. All she wants to do is change Mina's mind and get her on the side of good...but she couldn't. She resisted it. Star decided to give up on trying to change Mina for now.

"...fine." Star said. She got the prank magic ready. "...on three."

Mina gestured for the men to bring Skywynne closer.

"One…" Star spoke.

They both walked closer to the middle of the room; Star with the prank magic and Mina with Skywynne.

"Two…"

Star and Mina prepared to trade.

"...three!" Star spoke. She put the magic on the floor as Mina handed over Skywynne.

Mina took the magic in her hands. Star took Skywynne in her arms and pulled her back, waiting for the prank magic to do its job.

"Wait, what are you doing? Let's get out of here!" Skywynne asked.

"Give it a second." Star said quietly. They waited for the prank magic to activate.

….

...but nothing happened.

Mina started to chuckle as she grinned. She looked at the prank magic.

"Well, how about that." Mina spoke.

"Wait, wha-..." Star was confused. The prank magic didn't work. Star tried thinking of an immediate plan B. "Macaroon Melee Swarm!" Star yelled as she thrust her hands outward towards Mina and the men.

Still...nothing happened.

"Why isn't it-" Star started.

"Why isn't your magic working? Ha! You think I would fall for some tomfoolery like that!? I know what real magic looks like! Solaria taught me all there is to know about it!" Mina told her. Star was in a state of shock.

"But, how didn't it work?! That's impossible!" Skywynne asked.

"Oh, that's what you think! Just take some glass panels formed out of Rhombulus' crystal, keep them in storage for...yeah, let's say a few hundred years, then cover the walls with them! Boom! No magic here!" Mina said.

"Wait, what? How did you get Rhombulus to make glass panels?!" Star asked, confused.

"Haven't you ever noticed some of the windows in Butterfly Castle?! They're made of Rhombulus' crystal! A-doy! We just took them and borrowed them for our own purposes!" Mina said before her eyes lit up. "Oh, by the way, I have something else that I borrowed!" Mina said before snapping her fingers. One of her men came from behind her, handing Mina some sort of ray gun. It looked very rustic in design.

"Am I supposed to know what that is?" Star asked.

"Nope! That's because this is an alteration from another machine; a machine that steals the youth out of any living thing! I bet you know what I'm talking about!" Mina told her. Star gasped.

"Wait a minute…" Star spoke, recalling a machine she saw not too long ago; a machine used by a soul-stealing Butterfly. "You stole Meteora's youth-stealing machine?" Star asked.

"Bingo! But I just didn't just steal it, I transformed it! Plus, It doesn't just steal youth! This doohickey here steals your very life essence! Do you know what your life essence contains?" Mina asked.

"...oh no." Skywynne spoke.

"That's right! Magic! The magic I need that is filled with your royal Mewman DNA, which will be transferred back into liquid form in this glass bottle right here!" Mina said as she showed Star and Skywynne a glass bottle attached to the back of the ray gun. Star and Skywynne froze in place. They had nowhere to go and no way out. The door was completely shut.

"Marco...where are you?." Star whispered in fear.

* * *

Marco, who was strongly panting, continued to run as fast as he could. He didn't stop for anything. The only thought he had in his mind was Star. All he could think about was Star. That's what kept him going, even if he was out of breath. He wasn't about to lose her to anything now. He continued to search for the facility. However, he couldn't find any sight of it.

"Oh, come on! Where is it!?" Marco yelled to himself as he tried searching for the building. After a few seconds, he spotted a bit of light. He ran closer towards it. As he came near it, he caught sight of what he was looking for. He found the abandoned science facility.

"Aha!" Marco spoke loud and proud.

* * *

"Well!" Mina spoke before getting the ray gun ready. "Not to say this won't hurt but you know what they say! Doctor's orderrrs!" Mina yelled before firing the ray gun at Star and Skywynne. A yellow beam came out of the ray gun, hitting Star and Skywynne immediately. The whole room was filled with a bright yellow light. The men shielded their eyes from the ray gun's luminous beam.

"AHH!" Skywynne yelled as she felt her very life being drained. Star grunted, trying to be strong against the ray gun's power. Her pain tolerance started wearing thin. She couldn't resist it any longer after a few seconds. She cried out, using most of the strength she had left.

"MARCOOOO!" Star yelled in agony.

* * *

Marco gasped.

"STAR!" Marco shouted from outside the building. He sprinted right towards the facility and through the doorway. Marco looked right and then left, seeing the lit hallway. He made his way over to the staircase as fast as he could. He didn't care where he was going. His one goal was to get to Star and Skywynne.

* * *

Star and Skywynne started to become weak. A bright white light began to phase out of them, traveling down the path of the beam and into the gun. The glass bottle attached to the gun started to fill up with magic.

"Ma-...Marco…" Star said faintly as her energy started to decrease. She tried to yell, but she couldn't. She dropped to the ground before Skywynne did the same. Star was still able to hold her body up a little bit as she grunted, using her arms to sit up. Skywynne lied on the floor, trying to lift herself up off the ground. However, she wasn't able to. Her energy level was starting to diminish.

* * *

Marco made it to the bottom of the staircase, looking for where Star and Skywynne were. He noticed a bright light coming from the last door at the very end of the hallway. He dashed right to it, trying to open the door when he got there. He tried pushing and pulling the doorknob but it wouldn't budge. As he attempted to bust it open, he could hear Star on the other end.

"Marco...h-...help." Star said faintly, even though she was trying to talk as loud as she could.

"Star!" Marco called out. Marco's blood began to boil. He was going to do whatever it takes to open that door. As Marco kept his one hand on the doorknob, he banged his other hand on the door.

"OPEN!" Marco yelled as he closed his eyes in frustration.

Bright moons appeared on his cheeks.

His hands lit up.

Marco wasn't aware of anything that was going on because his eyes were closed.

The door suddenly swung open. Marco didn't know exactly what happened, but he was just relieved it worked. He looked into the room, catching sight of Star and Skywynne on the ground, having their magic and very life source being sucked out of them.

"Star!" Marco yelled. He caught sight of Mina, who was using the ray gun. Marco felt enraged. Mina looked at the doorway, seeing Marco standing there, absolutely furious.

"You!" Mina shouted. Marco ran over towards her, avoiding the beam and kicking it out of Mina's hands. The ray gun shut off and hit the ground, breaking into multiple pieces. Marco immediately turned around to Star, who was too weak to stand. He ran over to her and Skywynne, guarding them with his life. He turned his body towards Mina, keeping a close eye on her and the men.

"That's enough, Mina!" Marco shouted. Mina looked down on the ground, seeing the glass bottle filled with a little bit of magic from Star and Skywynne's bodies. She bent down, picked up the glass bottle, and lifted her body back up as she looked at a confident and angry Marco.

"You're right! It is enough! I've got what I want! Now it's about time you were all done too!" Mina said. "Soldiers! You know what to do!" Mina yelled. Marco gasped once more.

"Oh, no. Star?" Marco called out. He turned around, seeing Star unable to stand. "Star!" He looked over to his left, seeing Skywynne in the same position. "Skywynne!" He dropped to the floor. "You guys okay?"

"...can't...move…" Star replied faintly. She was still too weak to stand up. Marco looked behind him, seeing Mina's men preparing to attack.

"Ohhh no. We gotta go!" Marco said. "Uh...um…" He muttered before putting both Star and Skywynne on his shoulders, carrying them as best as he could. Marco wasn't strong enough to carry them both out of the facility. He could only carry them a short distance. Marco quickly got out of the room, putting them both down against the wall of the basement hallway. He closed the door to the room before reaching in his pocket, taking a bobby pin out of it.

"Oh, thank you, mom, for teaching me how to use this!" Marco told himself as he locked the door. Once it was locked, he looked over at Star and Skywynne. He started panicking. "I can't carry you guys up all those flights of stairs! Ahhh what do I do!?" Marco said to himself. Suddenly, he heard a voice call out.

"Stand clear!" A female voice called out. Marco immediately used his body as a shield for Star and Skywynne, protecting them from any falling debris. Suddenly, a loud explosion came from the ceiling near the staircase, creating a big hole in the roof. Thankfully, it wasn't anywhere near the three of them. Tom was seen floating down through the hole as Janna stayed up on the first floor. Marco immediately stood up.

"What are you doing here?!" Marco asked.

"We felt like you needed our help! Turns out we were right!" Janna said from up above. Tom looked over at Skywynne and Star, who were completely out of it.

"Are they okay?!" Tom asked.

"Yeah. They're fine but-..." Marco started.

"Men! Take the door down!" Mina shouted from inside the room. Banging was suddenly heard from the door. Marco and Tom turned their heads to the noise.

"We have to get out of here!" Marco shouted. He shifted his attention back to his friend. "Tom! I need you to get all of us up on the first floor!"

"Right!" Tom said before walking over to Star and Skywynne. He took Skywynne in his arms first, floating up through the hole in the ceiling, handing her over to Janna. Janna placed her down on the ground gently. Marco came over to Star, seeing how she was doing.

"You okay, Star?" Marco asked.

"...yeah…" Star said quietly.

"You're going to be okay. I promise." Marco told her before quickly taking her underneath his arms, lifting her up off the ground. He handed her over to Tom, who took her above to the first floor as well. Marco started hearing creaking and bending from the door. It was about to break. Tom rushed down, ready to get Marco.

"Let's go, man!" Tom said. Marco wrapped his arms around Tom's neck from behind him, ready to be lifted up. Suddenly, the door broke, allowing Mina and her men to come out, ready to attack.

"Go! Go! Go!" Marco screamed. Tom immediately lifted off the ground, raising himself to the first floor as Mina and her men watched them flee from their grasp. All of a sudden, a soldier grabbed Marco's leg, trying to pull him back down.

"AH!" Marco shouted. He tried to kick the hand off his leg. "Get-...off!" He exclaimed. Tom took a free hand and lit it up with fire, aiming a flame directly at the man's hand. The man winced, letting go of Marco's leg before he and Tom started floating up again, reaching the first floor. Marco looked down once their feet were safely on the ground.

"Ha! Not so tough now, are you?!" Marco suddenly caught the eye of three other men coming from the front door. "Uh...guys?!"

"Watch out!" Janna said, holding a stick of dynamite. She took a match, lit it, and put the flame right near the wick. Janna threw the dynamite at a nearby wall. There was a great big explosion once again, creating a gaping hole in the wall as an escape for the five of them. "Told you it was good for something." Janna said.

"No time to talk!" Marco said. Tom took Skywynne in his arms while Marco lifted Star and took her in his. They all ran out through the hole in the wall as Mina and her men ran up the stairs. The three other men ran towards the group, waiting for Mina's command as they watched Star and her friends flee.

"Stand down, men! Don't waste your energy!" Mina told them, holding a hand up. "We already have what we want." Mina shed an evil grin. "...and even more is coming our way."

* * *

Star, Marco, Tom, Janna, and Skywynne were all in the car as Tom made their way back to the Diaz residence. Marco sat in the back with Star and Skywynne, checking up on their condition. He gave them both some bottled water that was in the trunk of the car, thinking that it would help. With that, they were starting to get some of their energy back. Marco checked up on Star, who was very faint.

"I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner, Star. I-...I just-" Marco started.

"Hey...it's okay…you got to us before anything...really bad happened." Star said with a weak voice. "I'm...starting to feel better so...yeah. I'm okay. I'm just...so tired." She added before laying her head on Marco's shoulder. Marco took his head and leaned it on hers as he put his arms around her, holding her close.

"How are you feeling Skywynne?" Tom asked.

"I'm alright. A little...lightheaded though. I'm just happy to be out of there. Thank you guys...for saving me and all that." Skywynne told her friends.

"Hey, it's no trouble. It's what friends do." Marco said. Janna sat in the front seat, deep in thought. She suddenly realized something then and there; something she didn't really think about until now.

"Wait…" Janna said.

"What?" Tom spoke.

"...the men...we were told there were fifteen men, right?" Janna asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Marco asked.

...

"...I only counted fourteen…" Janna spoke.

"Then...where's number fifteen?" Tom asked.

* * *

The sun was starting to come up at the Diaz residence. The neighborhood was quiet. All you could really hear were the birds chirping their morning songs. Everything was happy, peaceful, and just right.

That is...until a man came out of the Diaz house.

He was holding something in his hands.

The man spoke only two words.

"Got it."


	31. When The Past Comes Back To Haunt You

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 31: When The Past Comes Back To Haunt You**

Star and the gang arrived back at the Diaz residence as Tom parked the car on the side of the road. Marco helped a very weary Star get out of the car as Janna did the same with Skywynne. They felt better than they did, but they were still feeling very weak and woozy from Mina's ray gun. Tom made his way in front of his friends, opening the door for everyone to walk into the house. As they walked in, they noticed that the house was slightly back in order. River and Marco's parents must have cleaned it up a bit while everyone was gone. Marco went over to the living room light switch and flipped it upwards, revealing a sleeping River on the couch.

"Dad?" Star called out. River shot up with a loud battle cry.

"Aaaaahhhh!" River yelled as he held his fists up, ready for combat. He noticed no one was coming at him. Frozen stiff, he turned his head slightly, seeing that everyone was back, staring at him with blank eyes. "Star! Marco! Sorry. I must have...fallen asleep while on watch!"

"Really? That's not like you at all." Marco said.

"Yeah. You never fall asleep on patrol." Star said.

"It is strange, indeed. Yes." River spoke.

"Hey uh, nothing happened while we were gone, right? Like nothing...you know...changed or-" Star asked. After realizing that there were only 14 men with Mina, she was hoping nothing happened to anybody.

"Why, no! Everything has been in tip-top condition since you all left!" River said before noticing Star's and Skywynne's condition as she took a seat on the sofa. "Star? Are you feeling alright? What happened?"

"Mina might have...taken some of my life essence with this ray gun thing." Star said as she pretended her fingers were bullets.

"Yes. It was...not pleasant." Skywynne said, placing her hand on her forehead.

"And Marco, Janna, and I were attacked by some of Mina's men." Tom added.

"I might have led one of them to stable employment." Janna said, pointing a finger in the air.

"What?" Star spoke.

"Long story. I'll tell you later...when I feel like it." Janna said. River stared blankly at everyone from all the information being thrown at him.

"So uh...your prank magic didn't work then?" River asked.

"Nope. What's worse is that Mina has magic, which is exactly what we tried to prevent." Star groaned. "Now we have to figure out how to stop her and-"

"No, Star. What we need to focus on is you and Skywynne getting better." Marco said.

"How can I focus on that when the only thing on my mind is the fact that Mina is planning something that might destroy our home...again?" Star asked.

"We'll figure it out." Marco said. "Besides, you might be able to focus on that better once you feel better."

"Hey. Question. What exactly happens when someone's life essence is stuck out of a person?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, and how are you supposed to get someone better after something like that?" Janna asked.

"I uh...I have no idea. I just feel...so tired." Star said.

"You wanna go take a nap? Maybe that'll help." Janna said.

"Yeah. Good idea. " Star said as she stood up, taking her time towards the steps. She looked up at all the stairs, feeling way too weak to even attempt to climb up all of them. "Summoning...cloudy charm." Star said, putting her hand out in front of her. Her hand began to glow...

...but nothing shot from it. The glow began to dim and flicker.

"What the-...summoning cloudy charm!" Star spoke loudly. She tried it again but the same thing happened again. "O...kayyyy what's going on?"

"What's going on with your magic?" Tom asked.

"I don't know…" Star said. "Our cheekmarks are still here, right?" She asked.

"Uh...yeah. They are." Marco said. Star touched her cheeks, wondering what in the world was going on.

"Hmmm...Skywynne? You try casting something." Star asked.

"Well, alright. Um…" Skywynne saw a pillow nearby. She thrust her hand towards it. "Raspberry Ribbon Lasso." She spoke. However, the same thing happened that happened with Star. Her hands glowed, and then went out in a few seconds. "That _is_ strange." Skywynne said.

"Is your magic damaged?" River asked.

"Maybe." Star said, looking at her hands. "...unless Mina did something else. Ugh. Great. Another problem I have to deal with." Star thought to herself for a second. "Glossaryk!" Star yelled. Suddenly, Glossaryk appeared right in front of her. "AH!" She yelped.

"You rang?" Glossaryk asked. Star let out a breath.

"Why do you-...you know what? Nevermind!" Star said in frustration. "Okay. Long story short. Mina zapped me and Skywynne with this ray gun thing that stole our life essence along with magic containing our royal mewman DNA and now we can't cast magic even though we can see the magic coming from our hands and we feel tired and weak and I basically want to drop on the floor which I am going to do now because I feel dizzy." Star said as she sat down. "As I was saying, none of us know what the problem is and I'm thinking that since you are such a master with magic you probably can help. So, are you able to figure out what's going on?" Star explained fast. Glossaryk blankly stared at her.

"... _that_ was a long story short?" Glossaryk asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Glossaryk!" Star exclaimed.

"Fine. I _may_ be able to help." Glossaryk told her.

* * *

"Now, I will need you to lay completely still." Glossaryk said as Star laid across the couch. Marco, Tom, Janna, River, and Skywynne all stood and watched as Glossaryk began to do an examination.

"So...um...is this going to hurt? Like...should I prepare myself for any pain or-..." Star asked.

"Not at all. I'm just going to check your magic levels within your body." Glossaryk said.

"You can...do that?" Marco asked.

"Of course." Glossaryk replied.

"Like...see the magic inside her body?" Marco added.

"Yes. Isn't that what I just said?" Glossaryk spoke. Marco glared at him for his sarcasm.

"So wait. You have x-ray vision?...can I get some of that?" Janna asked.

"I...would never trust you with that." Tom told her.

"It's not 'x-ray vision' per se. It's more along the lines of a 'magic vision'." Glossaryk told her, turning his head to Star. "All I would be able to see within your body is magic if there is still anything in there."

"Now, hold still." Glossaryk said as he closed his eyes. Suddenly, the stone on his forehead glowed. He opened his eyes back up, which were glowing as well. The light from his eyes shone on Star's stomach, which revealed a yellowish glow inside her.

"Woah." Everyone spoke.

"What? Is it bad?" Star asked.

"Oh, no! No! It's quite fascinating, in fact!" River said.

"Actually, no. It's bad." Glossaryk said as he observed the magic within Star.

"Forget everything I just said." River added.

"Wait, why? What's wrong?" Marco asked.

"Well, to put it in terms you can understand, Star, you still have magic within you. However, it's not enough for you to be able to cast anything." Glossaryk told everyone.

"So...Skywynne and I are low on magic?" Star asked. Glossaryk's eyes went back to normal as the stone on his forehead dimmed, making it so Star's magic within her wasn't visible anymore.

"If that's how you want to put it, then, yes." Glossaryk spoke. "I also assume that if you find a way to raise your magic levels, your strength might possibly return."

"Why is that?" Marco asked.

"Your life essence and your magic are connected. Because you and Skywynne have dipped down, if you lose the magic in a way that Mina has taken it, your life essence also crumbles. They are both intertwined. Therefore, if you increase your magic levels, you will also rejuvenate your energy along with it." Glossaryk explained.

"So once the magic is increased, problem solved! Haha!" River said.

"Well, I know a way to fix our magic levels." Star said as she sat up.

"Want me to go get it?" Marco asked.

"Please and thank you." Star replied. Marco walked into the kitchen, looking for the secret compartment in the floor.

"Where is it? Where is it?" Marco repeated. He then saw a tile a little out of place. He kneeled down, taking the tile and lifting it.

Marco's eyes went wide.

"No..." Marco spoke in a panic. He got up and immediately ran out of the kitchen. He ran past everyone else, making his way to the stairs.

"Marco?" Star spoke. Marco didn't respond. He was hyper-focused. Marco made his way to his room as quickly as he could, swinging the door open and running to his desk. He opened a desk drawer, throwing things out of it, not even caring what he tossed out of it. Marco then lifted the wood panel that hid his little secret compartment.

He gasped.

"No no no!" Marco spoke loudly as he ran out of the room and down the steps. "Star!" Marco called frantically from the steps.

"What is it?" Star asked, worried that everything isn't okay. Marco walked down the steps towards Star.

"The magic and the wand…" Marco said. He hesitated. "...they're gone." Star's eyes went wide.

"What?!" Everyone exclaimed in shock.

"I'm not kidding! They're not there!" Marco told her.

"But how did-..." Star then realized. "...number fifteen. He stole it!" Star peered at her father. "...and you were asleep?!"

"I told you before that I don't know what happened!" River said. Glossaryk took a sniff of the air.

"Sleeping gas." Glossaryk spoke.

"What now?" Star asked.

"I said sleeping gas." Glossaryk replied.

"Yeah. Yeah. I heard you. But...what?" Star asked. Glossaryk took a deep breath.

"Sleeping gas is a gas that puts the subject into a state of-" Glossaryk started.

"I know what it is!" Star said.

"Hold on. How do you know it's sleeping gas?" Tom asked.

"Don't you remember that I was captured by these men? How else do you think they were able to do it?" Glossaryk asked.

"Wait a minute...Dad! That's why you were asleep!" She added, looking at her father.

"Ahah! I haven't lost my marbles! I'm still the same man I've always been." River sounded. Star gave him an irritated look. "I do realize that this doesn't help our problem though."

"Wait, where's mom, dad, and Mariposa?" Marco asked.

"Want us to go check?" Janna asked, pointing at Tom and herself. Marco nodded before they both made their way up the stairs. Star felt so frustrated from all this, feeling a slight adrenaline rush.

"We have to go after her." Star said, standing up slowly, making her way to the door.

"No, Star." Skywynne said, holding her hand out.

"I can't let her-..." Star spoke, struggling to keep her strength.

"Star? Stop." Marco spoke. Star dropped to the floor, feeling feeble and shaky again.

"Ah!" She yelped, feeling pain from her fall.

"Star!" Marco called. Marco and River ran right to her. "You okay?"

"Yes...but no. I don't know. I just need to go after her!" Star tried to get up, but couldn't.

"Star? You're in no condition to handle Mina right now." River said.

"But...we can't just let her get away with this! _I_ can't let her!" Star said.

"Star? We'll figure it out. You would have a better chance of defeating Mina if you were feeling better." Marco said.

"Tell me, Marco. How am I supposed to feel better? Would anyone like to answer that question?" Star asked, frustrated.

"Well uh…" Marco sounded. Janna and Tom came back downstairs.

"They're fine. They're still sleeping in their room." Janna replied.

"Whew." Marco breathed. "Thanks." Skywynne then raised a hand up.

"I might...have a solution." Skywynne spoke. "It's a little risky though but...I feel that it might solve our problems."

"Honestly, I'm up for anything. Shoot." Star said as Marco and River helped her get up. Skywynne hesitated to speak.

"My sister had a spell...a spell that takes a component of the body and reverses back to an original state."

"Awesome! Well, that calms me down a bit. I don't see why it's risky though." Star said.

"Well...there _is_ a risk of memory loss." Skywynne said.

"Oh." Marco said.

"The way that it is prevented is that you have to keep your mind focused on the certain component of your body that you want to revert. I've seen Astroida do this spell with her pet rabbit when it broke its back leg. This spell works for sure." Skywynne finished.

"Star? Think about this." River said. Star looked down at the ground, pondering her decision. She lifted her head up a few seconds after.

"I know someone who could cast this spell." Star said. "Get my phone, Marco. I'm making a call."

* * *

An hour went by before there was a knock at the door. Marco walked over to it, grabbing the handle and opening it, revealing Moon and Eclipsa at the door.

"Hi!" Marco spoke.

"Marco! How is she?" Moon asked.

"She's doing okay. Man, I'm so glad you guys are here." Marco told them.

"Nothing will stop us from helping family, Marco." Eclipsa told him. Marco gestured for them to walk in. They stepped inside, seeing Star and Skywynne sitting back on the couch, resting a bit with their eyes closed. Tom, Janna, River, and Glossaryk were with them. Star opened her eyes a bit, seeing Moon and Eclipsa in the entryway.

"Hey, Mom. 'Sup Eclipsa?" Star asked, waving her hand.

"Oh, sweetie." Moon spoke, coming towards Star and Skywynne. "How are you feeling?" She asked as she took her hand and stroked Star's forehead.

"Tired but...I'm doing okay. So...you can help us?" Star asked. Star explained everything to Moon and Eclipsa on the phone before they got to the house.

"Yes but...Star, are you sure you're willing to take this risk?" Moon asked.

"She's right. If you or Skywynne lose your memories, we would never forgive ourselves." Eclipsa added.

"Look. It wouldn't be your fault that my memory would be lost. It would be mine for allowing you guys to perform the spell. Plus, we honestly have no choice right now. Skywynne can't go back to her time without being able to do magic." Star added before they all glanced over at Skywynne. "We can't change the past because it'll change what we have now." Star finished.

"You do realize that if Skywynne loses her memory, that will change the past as well, don't you?" Moon said. Star turned her head to her mother.

"Okay. Okay. Well, you have two choices. Either she goes back with no magical abilities which will change absolutely everything in our lives _or_ she goes back with amnesia which, may I add, will _still_ change everything. We don't have any other options. That spell is all we have to rely on." Star said.

"She's right you know." Marco added, coming over to them. "This is the only chance we have to make things right. Even if there is a chance that this spell might wipe their memories, there's a chance that the spell will work."

"So _you're_ willing to risk Star's memories?" Moon asked Marco.

"It's not that at all. I just know that you and Eclipsa are capable of making it so that doesn't happen." Marco told them. Moon and Eclipsa looked down, thinking about what they are going to decide.

"I don't know." Moon spoke. "I mean, Star. You're my daughter. I would be a terrible mother if I-" Moon started.

"Mom?" Star called. Moon looked at her daughter. "You said not too long ago that you trust me, whatever I do or decide. I'm asking you this time to please, pleeease trust me on this." Star asked. Moon could see in Star's eyes that she was reaching out for her mother's help. Moon remembered. She did say back not too long ago that she trusts her.

"Moon?" Eclipsa spoke. Moon looked down at her feet and pondered her decision for a minute. She looked up at her daughter.

"What do you need me to do?" Moon asked with a smile. Star smiled right back. Star handed her a piece of paper with directions inscribed on it.

"The directions are on this." Star told Moon and Eclipsa.

"Reversion spell...hmm. This spell sounds so...ancient." Eclipsa said.

"My sister enjoyed writing spells that way. She made them sound cryptic to make them seem more powerful." Skywynne told her.

"Cryptic." Janna chuckled, looking at Tom. "I love that word."

"Of course you do." Tom replied.

"Alright." Eclipsa replied. "So, you got Star and I'll handle Skywynne?" She asked Moon.

"Okay." Moon replied. Eclipsa stood in front of Skywynne while Moon stood in front of her daughter.

"Now, make sure that whatever you do, keep thinking about the magic and how that is all you want to revert. Make sure your mind doesn't wander. Stay focused and it'll most assuredly prevent any sort of memory loss." Skywynne said.

"So focus on the magic and nothing else then?" Moon asked.

"Pretty much." Star said. Moon glanced to her side, starting to look as if she lacked confidence. "Hey...Mom?" Star spoke. Moon looked up at Star. "You got this." Star told her with a grin. Moon felt determined by Star's words. She was going to get this spell right. She and Eclipsa read the directions to themselves on the paper before placing it down on a table next to the couch. They got into position.

"Alright." Eclipsa breathed. "Ready?"

"Yes." Moon said.

"You might all want to step back a bit." Glossaryk told Marco, Tom, Janna, and River. They all stepped a few steps behind them.

Moon and Eclipsa closed their eyes. Moon put her palms together and Eclipsa did the same. Star and Skywynne closed their eyes as well, trying their best to relax, preparing themselves for what was about to come. Moon and Eclipsa began saying the spell together out loud.

_A life that hath been altered_

_By an unpleasant fate_

Their cheekmarks began to glow.

_Give thine flesh a second chance_

_And change thine current state_

They both spread their hands apart slightly. A small blue orb formed in between their hands.

_Clench this soul's misfortune_

_Remove it from thine hold_

They took their arms and spread them outward, stretching horizontally. They began to turn their arms like the hands of a clock, counterclockwise as if they were reversing time.

_Reverse the ticking of the clock_

_And hath this body remold._

Moon and Eclipsa clapped their hands together and thrust them towards Star and Skywynne. The orbs made their way to Star and Skywynne. Their bodies absorbed the orb, causing them both to glow a bright blue. Everyone watched as the magic took hold of them. A ticking sound was heard. Suddenly, a yellow glow came from their stomachs.

"I think it's working!" Marco spoke. The yellow light began to get brighter and bigger. Suddenly, Star and Skywynne both gasped with a loud breath. "Wait, wait what's happening?" Marco asked, freaking out.

"Ah ah ah. Let them focus." Glossaryk told him. Marco bit his lip, nervous that something bad was happening or about to. He looked over at Moon and Eclipsa, who seemed to be intently focused, quite possibly harder than they've ever focused before. The glow then started to diminish, along with the yellow light coming from Star and Skywynne's stomach. The ticking sound faded. Moon and Eclipsa's cheekmarks dimmed as their spellcasting was complete. Marco immediately dropped down to Star to check on her.

"Star? Star! Say something!" Marco called. Star opened her eyes slowly, shifting her gaze to Marco.

"Wh-...who are you?" Star asked.

"No!" Marco yelled in agony. Star suddenly chucked.

"Just kidding, Marco." Star smirked. Marco gasped.

"What the-...don't do that!" Marco exclaimed.

"Aww. She takes after me." Janna said. Tom facepalmed. Marco immediately took Star in a very relieving hug. Star took her arms and wrapped them around Marco. Moon and Eclipsa looked over at Skywynne, who was holding her stomach.

"I feel...normal again. Did it work?" Skywynne said.

"Let me take a look." Glossaryk told them. Marco stepped back from Star again so Glossaryk could do his job. The stone on Glossaryk's forehead glowed once again before his eyes did the same. The light from his eyes shined on Star's stomach first. Everyone could see that there was ten times more magic within her system as there was before. Glossaryk moved the light to Skywynne's, who appeared to have the same amount of magic within her as well.

"It worked!" Marco said.

"Aha! You did it, Moonpie!" River said.

"Yes!" Star exclaimed, pumping her fists up in the air. "I love feeling normal! Woo!"

"I...cannot believe I did it." Moon spoke. Star looked at her mother, putting her hands down. She stood up and walked in front of her mom, grabbing her in a hug.

"I told you you could do it." Star told Moon. Moon shed a bright smile, taking her, embracing her daughter right back. A single tear of relief ran down Moon's cheek. Skywynne stood up and came over to Eclipsa.

"Thank you, Eclipsa." Skywynne said before taking Eclipsa into a hug. Eclipsa's eyes went wide. To think that her grandmother was hugging her, a family member she hadn't seen for ages. She wished she could tell Skywynne that she was Skywynne's granddaughter. Now was not the time though. Instead, Eclipsa wrapped her arms around Skywynne, taking this moment in.

"It was my pleasure." Eclipsa replied.

"Well…" Star started, letting go of her mom. "Now that we're back to normal…" Star said before taking her hands and waving them around her body, creating a dress made out of armor. "Let's get that crazy lady."

"Woah." Marco breathed with his mouth gaping. River came over next to Marco, taking his jaw and closing his mouth.

* * *

Mina and the 15 men stood in an open field right near their hideaway at the abandoned science facility. The men all stood behind Mina, who was holding a necklace in one hand and the magic from Star and Skywynne in another. The necklace had a glowing pendant on it in the shape of a teardrop.

"Bring the magic and wand!" Mina said. One of the men came over to her, holding the jar of magic in one hand and the wand in another. He placed the magic on the ground in front of Mina. Once the magic was set, Mina took the royal mewman magic in her hand and poured a drop of it into the magic sitting on the ground. The magic in the jar began to glow even brighter than it did previously, transforming the normal magic into magic with royal mewman DNA.

"Well, boys. Our time has finally come. Once this is placed in this royal mewman magic, our hope will be restored!" Mina told the men. She got the necklace ready, holding it above the jar of magic. She took a deep breath before dropping it into it. The magic started to bubble and boil. "Stand back!" Mina yelled. Everyone started to back up before the magic blasted out of the jar and up like a geyser with powerful force. A voice with a british accent started to speak from the magic with an echo.

_As thine token absorbs thine power_

_Now at last will be the hour_

Suddenly, a silhouette of a person began to form, floating within the magic coming out of the jar.

_Those who opposed will soon be avenged_

"She has returned!" Mina exclaimed with joy.

….

_By thy majesty, Astroida: Queen of Revenge._


	32. Mudsister

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 32- Mudsister**

The magic stopped flowing out of the jar on the ground, revealing Astroida in a ghost-like state with her eyes closed. She glowed bright orange as she floated in the air. Her teardrop necklace hung on her neck, keeping her alive. Astroida's eyes suddenly opened, glowing brightly.

"It feels lovely to live again once more." Astroida spoke, lowering her head to those in front of her. "You have done well, my loyal followers. You shall soon be rewarded." Mina stepped forward, being the one to speak for the men.

"Queen Astroida! We have brought you back from your sleep to put the mewmans and monsters in their rightful place and to restore what is rightfully yours!" Mina proclaimed.

"I see." Astroida replied as she looked around. "As wonderful as that sounds, do you really expect me to do that while I am in this form?" She asked.

"Not at all, your majesty! We have acquired what you need to bring you back to full mewman form!" Mina said before snapping her fingers. One of the men came over and handed her a piece of paper. Mina held it out in front of her to give to Astroida. Astroida gave her a raised eyebrow.

"Have you forgotten that spirits cannot hold objects?" Astroida asked.

"My apologies!" Mina said before changing her grip of the piece of paper so the words are facing Astroida. Astroida read it carefully.

"Hmm...I will have to change some of the wording though but...mmm-hmm. This will do." Astroida said before closing her eyes, stretching her arms out wide.

_Awaken my soul from spirit to form._

_Arise from death and begin to transform._

Suddenly, teardrop cheekmarks appeared, glowing brightly on her see-through cheeks.

_Feel the beat in my heart restore._

_Revive to what I was once before._

Astroida's body began to glow brightly as an illustrious light appeared, making her hidden from view. Mina and the men shielded their eyes from the brightness. Astroida came out of the light, stepping onto the ground as she appeared to have changed into full mewman form. Her ghost-like state was no more. She stretched her arms out a bit, taking in the fact that she was now back to a normal state.

"Well, now that I'm back, it's time to enact my revenge against those mewman betrayers." Astroida said with anger as she formed fists with her hands.

"Yes! Finally! Let's get those monster smoochers!" Mina exclaimed with confidence as one of the men handed Astroida the wand. The wand changed as soon as she held it, transforming into colors of black and deep blue. The wings on the wand resembled those of a crow or raven. A deep purple midnight flame stone in the shape of a diamond sat in the very middle of the console.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What was that?" Astroida asked.

"The mewmans! The ones who betrayed you and favored Skywynne instead of you! Let's get 'em!" Mina said with her hands in fists, ready for action.

"Oh, Mina. Dear Mina Loveberry. It's...precious...that you want to help us with our master plan but I'm afraid..." Astroida spoke as she came closer to Mina's face.

"...you're no longer needed." Astroida told her.

"What?" Mina spoke as Astroida walked past her, sighing.

"Of course. You're all brawn with no brain." Astroida said as she rubbed her forehead.

"Excuse me?!" Mina exclaimed, feeling offended at Astroida's remark.

"Do you not understand anything I said?" Astroida spoke, turning around to face her. "You were just a pawn in our plan. We _used_ you, Mina, to bring me back. Now that I have returned, what is the point of having you with us?" Astroida smirked.

"Ohohoho hold up! I _helped_ you and this is how I'm being repaid!?" Mina shouted.

"Not exactly. In fact..." Astroida said as she walked past Mina. "You're not being paid back at all." Mina's blood started to boil. The rage started to take over her mind. Mina yelled her battle-cry, charging at Astroida after what she was just told by her.

"Ahhhh!" Mina shouted. Astroida turned around immediately, blasting a powerful wave of magic energy right at her head. The blast threw her back in the air, making her fall down to the ground, knocking her unconscious.

"Such a pain." Astroida spoke. "Where was I? Oh, right. Let's go boys. We have a kingdom to refashion." The men came behind her in a circle, surrounding her as she lifted her wand in the air.

_Magic, strong and swift as fire._

_Bring us to where we desire._

A blue magic beam started to flow out of the wand and surround Astroida and the men, spinning like a tornado. The magic spun faster and faster, causing the glow to get brighter and brighter until it flashed, making Astroida and the men disappear.

Mina, however, was still on the ground, alone and out cold.

* * *

Star, Marco, Tom, and Janna rode in Tom's car as they made their way back to the facility as Tom drove in the front seat. Star and Marco sat in the back as Janna sat in front. Star was on her cell phone, talking to her mom.

"No, Mom. I told you. I want you and Eclipsa to stay back at the house with Skywynne where you're safe…I'll be fine...Mom? Mom. Look. I'm a big girl. In fact, I'm not even a girl. I'm a teenager. There's a difference...I know. I know. If we need you, we'll call you, okay?...I will. I will...Okayyyyy...bye." Star finished as she pressed the end call button on her cell phone.

"So we're just going to go back to where we were before?" Janna asked.

"Yup." Star said, determined.

"Aren't we kind of rushing into this without thinking?" Marco asked, a bit concerned Star was a bit heated from this whole situation.

"Relax, Marco. I have a plan. You and Tom are going to come with me to look for Mina and take her down while Janna stays nearby as back-up in case we need to call for help." Star said.

"You think that'll work?" Tom asked.

"He has a point? What if it fails like our last plan did?" Marco asked.

"I thought this one through. Mina and the men won't be able to head into that room where Skywynne and I lost the magic. She wouldn't be able to use the magic she might have now if she were in there so it's fair game." Star told them. "Besides, Mina isn't as skilled and experienced as me when it comes to magic so I have an advantage." Star said, flipping her hair in confidence.

"So...you're saying it'll be the three of us...against Mina and _fifteen men_?" Marco asked.

"You got it." Star replied.

"You do realize we have a ratio of...let's see carry the three, divide by...1:5 here, right?" Marco added as he used his fingers to do some math.

"Look. I know this doesn't sound too promising but we don't really have another choice. I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep Earthni safe." Star said.

Tom's car pulled up at a spot different from the last time they were near the facility. As they got out of the car, Janna pulled out her laptop, pressing a few keys.

"Hmm...weird." Janna spoke.

"What is?" Star asked.

"I see one person near the facility but...that's it." Janna told them.

"How do you know?" Tom asked.

"Oh, I upgraded the tech so I can see heat signatures now." Janna responded.

"You could've done this before, you know!" Marco said.

"Jeez. I can only do what I can here." Janna said.

"Don't you think it's strange that there's only one person here? Where's everyone else?" Tom asked.

"Well, at this point, all we can do is find out who it is. We only have one shot to defeat Mina before she unleashes whatever she has planned on Earthni so...yeah. It's now or never." Star told them. She let out a breath. "Okay, Janna? You stay here and keep watch. We'll give you a call if we need you to call for back-up." Star told them.

"Got it." Janna replied.

"Marco? Tom? Let's go." Star told them before casting a spell. "Summoning cloudy charm!" She spoke. Cloudy appeared in front of her seconds after.

"Hey, Sta-...woah wait! Nope! Not going through here again!" Cloudy said before disappearing in front of them.

"Cloudy!" Star shouted before groaning. "Guess we're walking guys." She told Marco and Tom. They nodded, following her away from the car and towards the facility. Janna looked back at the computer, watching the heat signature move around the facility as three more heat signatures, labeled Star, Marco, and Tom started moving towards the facility as well. Suddenly, a silhouette of a mysterious figure went by Janna.

"Huh?" Janna uttered, turning around to see if anything was behind her. All she could see were trees and bushes. She then shrugged, going back to watching her laptop.

* * *

Star, Marco, and Tom quietly made their way to the facility, keeping an eye out for anyone about to jump in and attack.

"Stay on your toes, gentlemen." Star said quietly before they were able to spot the science facility from a distance.

"There it is." Marco spoke as they made their way closer to the building. Nothing's changed since they've left it. The holes where Janna's explosives hit were still there and all the debris was still all over the place. The trio looked around, seeing that no one was around from what they could tell. Tom and Marco started walking forward until Star stretched her arms out, stopping them in their tracks.

"Woah, woah. Hold up. We gotta be careful." Star told them.

"We know, Star but...look. There's no one here." Tom said.

"Yeah. Okay, but you never know if someone might be hiding." Marco told him.

"Right. That's why you gotta keep your eyes peeled." Star added as she started to walk closer towards the facility. Marco followed along with Tom until he thought he heard something...or someone...dash behind him.

"What the-?" Tom quickly turned his body to look. "Uh, guys?" Tom turned his head to Star and Marco. "Did you hear something?"

"Uh...no." Star said.

"Nope." Marco added. Tom raised an eyebrow as he looked around before shrugging, walking forward again. A mysterious figure passed behind him suddenly, disappearing in the trees.

Star and Marco walked towards the front of the building, observing it closely, seeing if anything's changed.

"Hmmm...nothing's different." Star said.

"What about that heat signature Janna saw?" Marco asked.

"Yeah. I don't know." Star said, curious. She got her phone out of her battle armor dress pocket and started to dial Janna. She put the phone to her ear, hearing the dial tone before a voice spoke.

"Yo." Janna said. Marco put his ear up to the phone next to Star's head.

"Janna? Is that heat signature still nearby?" Star asked.

"Ugh. Hold on." Janna said as her mouth was stuffed with food. "I was eating my chalupa from Britta's."

"A wha-...when did you get that?!" Marco asked.

"Doesn't matter. There are more important things right now, dude. Focus." Janna told him as she glanced at her laptop. Marco grumbled at her remark. Janna suddenly gasped.

"Behind you!" Janna exclaimed. Star and Marco suddenly felt a hand on both their shoulders. They jumped, turning around immediately. Star powered up her hands with magic as Marco got into his Tang Soo Do defense mode. They laid eyes on a tattered Mina, down on the ground, cowering in fear.

"Mina!" Star and Marco yelled.

"Wait! Don't pound me, please!" Mina spoke while crouched down on the ground with her palms facing outward, protecting herself.

"Oh, don't give me that! Where are your little friends, Loveberry? Where are they hiding?!" Star said, getting her magical hands closer to Mina.

"I don't know! Please just...don't hurt me!" Mina pleaded. Marco observed Mina with a raised eyebrow. Something was...different about her.

"Ha! Really? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't do away with you right now for how you've treated my family and all of Mewni? For how you treated me and almost killed me!" Star asked as her anger grew. Tom rushed over, seeing Mina in front of them.

"What's going on?" Tom asked. He gasped, igniting his hands with fire. "Mina!"

"We got her surrounded! That's what!" Star told him in rage. Marco kept looking at Mina's behavior.

"She's…cowering?" Marco asked himself.

"Well, I'm waiting!" Star exclaimed to Mina.

"I...I don't know! I don't know what's going on and I don't know where they went. Just let me explain myself!" Mina begged. Star growled before she was about to throw a magical wallop at Mina. Marco hurried in front of Star, preventing her from hurting Mina.

"Star! Tom! Wait!" Marco said.

"Marco! Wha-...what are you doing?" Star asked.

"You don't see it, do you?" Marco asked, a little surprised.

"See what?! The person who tried to hurt my family, my kingdom, and me?! Yeah! She's right behind you! Move out of the way!" Star said.

"Yeah, dude! What's your issue?" Tom asked, ready to attack.

"Guys...she's _scared_. When was the last time you've seen her scared?!" Marco asked, pointing at Mina.

"Wait...what?" Tom spoke. Star looked at Mina and the way she was acting at that very moment. She suddenly came to a realization. Mina _was_ scared. This wasn't like her at all, which made Star a bit confused...and curious. Star relaxed as the magic in her hands diminished. Marco moved out of the way, seeing that he was successful in calming Star down. Star hesitated before getting down on a knee to talk to her.

"Mina?...tell me what you're thinking and feeling right now." Star asked. Marco got down on a knee with Star.

"Well, I...I feel lost and...and confused...and terrified. I've done some really awful things that I feel terrible about and now you all want to hurt me and…and…" Mina said before beginning to cry. "I feel so stupid." Star gasped.

"Marco? I think she-..." Star started.

"What?" Marco asked.

"Glossaryk told us about how the metamorphosis removed Mina's fear and conscience. I have _no_ idea how but...I think...I think her fear and conscience is back." Star said.

"Really? I mean, is that even possible?" Marco asked.

"I don't know." Star spoke. "Mina? What is the last thing you remember?" She asked. Mina sniffled before wiping her nose.

"Well, I remember...being hit in the head with this blast of magic." Mina told them.

"That's it, guys! That must have reversed the effects of the metamorphosis!" Star said.

"So...Mina's back to normal?" Marco asked.

"Yes!" Star replied with a smile.

"I mean, that's a good thing! Isn't it? That _is_ a good thing, right?" Tom asked.

"I'd say so!" Marco replied. Star thought to herself for a minute. Something didn't seem right. She gasped when she realized what it was that seemed off.

"Wait a minute. Mina? Who blasted you with magic? Was it one of your men?" Star asked.

"Well...no. No, no. It wasn't one of the men. Also, they're not _my_ men anymore. I'd rather not be associated with them now. The guilt is killing me." Mina told them.

"Then...who was it?" Marco asked.

"Um...wait! I remember!" Mina spoke. "It was...I'm sorry my head is a little bit fuzzy from the magic blast. I remember her name started with an A but-..." Mina spoke before snapping her fingers, remembering the name. "Astroida! That's it!"

"What?!" They said together, standing up in shock.

"But...how!? How is she here?!" Marco asked.

"I have no idea but we really need to get to the bottom of this _right now_." Star spoke.

"Okay. Mina? I need you to tell me everything you can remember." She told Mina. Mina nodded her head in agreement.

* * *

Star, Marco, and Tom brought Mina back to where Janna was set up in Tom's black convertible. Janna was confused at first as to why they were helping Mina out. Once Star explained the whole situation, she was cool with it not too long after. Before Mina began to explain everything that happened, Star got her mom, Eclipsa, River, Glossaryk, and Skywynne on a video call using her cell. Once everyone had Mina's full attention, she began to tell Star and the gang everything.

"The reason both your magic was stolen was to bring Astroida back." Mina told Star and Skywynne directly. "Astroida put a spell on her necklace before her untimely death, making sure that once it was dropped into a vessel of magic, she would return to enact her plan of revenge." Mina explained.

"That sounds like my sister. She was always clever like that with her spells." Skywynne said.

"So what is her plan?" Moon asked.

"I would tell you if I knew but...I'm afraid I didn't have a chance to figure that out." Mina told them.

"So Astroida planned on coming back to life all this time?" Marco asked.

"Yes. She did give her followers instructions for when the time was right to bring her back to life. She asked for the magic and a spell to raise the dead and bring Astroida back into mewman form." Mina explained.

"Wait but...Glossaryk told us he didn't give you the spell to raise the dead." Star said.

"It's true." Glossaryk spoke from Star's cell phone.

"What? But...he didn't give us the spell at all. I had no idea that he was even involved." Mina said.

"I guess the men captured him without you even knowing it." Tom spoke.

"So, wait. If Glossaryk didn't give you the spell, then...who did?" Marco started. Everyone stopped, realizing who actually did. They all looked over at Star's phone screen, seeing Skywynne in a panic.

"Skywynne?" Star asked.

"...I...I...um…" Skywynne stuttered. "I thought that...it wouldn't…"

"Skywynne!" Everyone exclaimed.

"Could you just let me explain? Please?" Skywynne begged. "Look. I didn't actually tell them the _real_ spell to raise the dead. At that moment, when I was captured, I was being threatened." Skywynne started to explain.

_"I know for a fact that you know the spell to raise the dead. You better tell us!" Mina exclaimed._

_"I'm not telling you anything!"_ Skywynne said, tied up to a chair.

_"Ha! You think it's that easy? Just say you won't tell us and you're in the clear? Sorry, sister!" Mina spoke before snapping her fingers. One of Mina's men came forward, cracking his knuckles. Skywynne gasped, seeing how she was now being threatened. "Now, where were we? Oh, that's right. What was the spell again?" Mina asked with a clear intention to end her if she didn't. Skywynne looked at Mina in terror._

"I knew that if I didn't tell her, I would've been done for. That would also mean that history would change because of it, which meant that all of you would be affected by it as well. I had to do something. I immediately thought that...if they didn't know what the spell was, I could tell them anything and they would still believe that it was the actual spell. So...I told them something from the top of my head. I just made it up but...I didn't know that it would work." Skywynne finished.

"Random spells are usually the ones that work the best! Ask Star! She's made dozens of random spells right from her head!" Marco told her.

"You're not wrong, Marco but...what would've been worse? Earthni being in danger or the whole of history changing...which could mean that...none of us would've met?" Star asked. Marco looked at Star straight in the eyes while Star did the same. The thought of it scared them. That's when they immediately understood. Star turned back to look at Skywynne on her phone screen. "It's okay, Skywynne. I get why you did what you did. Thanks for looking out for us." Star told her.

"I'm glad you understand but...I'm sorry that the spell I made up worked. I didn't expect it to work at all." Skywynne told her.

"Yeeeahhh. Maybe you want to keep that spell out of the spellbook in case situations like this happen again." Eclipse told her.

"You're right. Besides, the other spell I had to raise the dead was for ghosts, zombies, and spirits, and such. In no way would it turn someone back into a mewman. They were only meant for pranks. That version of the spell would be less harmless to put in the book anyway." Skywynne shrugged.

"I'm also sorry." Mina spoke. Everyone turned to look at her. "I'm sorry for everything I've done and all the harm I've caused." Mina let out a breath. "When I joined Solaria's army, I didn't expect the outcome of going through a metamorphosis. It completely changed me. I was just a mindless drone. I didn't have any heart or mercy for anybody." Everyone stood there, silent as they listened to Mina's words. "I'm just hoping that...you all have the heart to forgive me for everything that I've done. I understand if you don't because I really caused some damage but...I'm hoping you can." Mina finished. Everyone stayed silent for a few seconds.

"Star?" Moon called. Star looked at her phone. "Could we talk to you and Marco in private for a minute?" Moon asked her daughter. Star looked at Mina.

"We'll...uh...be right back. Hold tight." Star told her friends before walking a bit away with Marco to converse with Moon privately.

"What's up?" Star asked as she and Marco looked at her phone screen.

"Look. I understand that Mina is apologizing for everything she did but...how can you be sure that Mina has changed? Don't you remember all the terrible things she's done to our family and to the kingdom? She caused a tremendous amount of pain to Mewni." Moon asked.

"Well, yeah. But-" Star started.

"Star? I want you to truly think about this. Lives were lost because of her. Do you really want to give her your trust after what she's done to the monsters, the mewmans...and what she's done to you?" Moon asked. Star looked down for a second, thinking about it. Marco looked at Star. She raised her head up with a serious look.

"Mom? Who we saw before wasn't Mina. She had no personality or love. Now, look at her. She's crying, fearful for her life, and begging for forgiveness. She...she actually cares. _That_...is the real Mina; the woman sitting right over there. It wasn't her fault she was turned into the kind of person she was. I mean, she wasn't even a person. She was Solaria's own personal slave. Mina's personality was literally wiped away. I think someone like that, no matter what she did to us...deserves a second, third, or even a fourth chance because...it wasn't her fault." Star said.

"She's right. Mina didn't ask for any of what happened to her. Solaria took advantage of her and turned her into what Mina said she was; a mindless drone. That's not her fault. She didn't agree to becoming Solaria's soldier only to get her whole personality removed. She just wanted to help and...she was tricked in return which wasn't fair to her." Marco added.

Moon looked down, taking Star and Marco's words seriously. Moon never thought about that. What Solaria did was wrong. Solaria had no love for monsters and wanted to turn everyone into soldiers that she could control and morph into ones with no heart or soul.

"Well, I understand but-...it's hard to-..." Moon started before Eclipsa came to her side and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Moon? You gave me a second chance. Ludo's changed after what he's done. I think Mina deserves the same, especially because she didn't want any of this to happen. She was bent against her will." Eclipsa told her.

"She's right. Even after what she's done to me, I would even give her another chance." Skywynne added. Moon let out a sigh. River came over to her.

"It's your choice, Moonpie." River spoke. Moon looked at River.

"I know." Moon hesitated for a second. "Well...I guess...you're right. I guess...I didn't consider the fact that the woman who caused all these events to happen...wasn't the real Mina, to begin with." Moon spoke. She smiled. "Let me speak to her." She told Star. Star and Marco walked over with the phone to Mina, who had a look of guilt on her face.

"Mina?" Moon spoke. Mina lifted her head, looking at the phone screen. "We understand that you didn't mean for any of this to happen so...in light of everything that happened to you...we all forgive you." Moon told her. Mina's eyes lit up. She wasn't even sure if she heard that correctly. It was honestly the last thing she expected to hear. Mina sniffled slightly.

"R-...really? You mean it?" Mina asked.

"Yes." Moon said.

"I-...I don't even know what to say. Saying thank you isn't enough. I feel as if I should repay you somehow to make up for what I've done." Mina told her.

"Well, you could tell us where you think Astroida is if you have any idea." Star asked.

"I wish I could tell you but I don't have a clue. All I know is that Astroida most likely brought the men along with her but that's all I know." Mina said.

"Then...where did they go?" Marco asked.

* * *

Astroida walked around a large hallway with towering ceilings, filled with old tapestries and paintings, glancing at each one with disgust. The walls had some holes in them, letting in the cool outdoor air. She looked at one portrait of a smiling Queen Comet hanging on the wall.

"They call these mewmans rulers?" She asked herself, taking her wand and blasting a hole in the painting. "More like betrayers in my eyes." Astroida said as she continued to walk down the hallway. "Well, they'll get their just reward for pushing me aside; treating my skills as if they were worthless..." She added as she walked into a giant throne room, staring at a seat fit for a queen up ahead.

"...treating me as if I am worthless." Astroida spoke. She walked up to the throne, taking her hand and feeling the smooth wood armrests, taking in this moment of conquest. Astroida turned her body away from the throne.

"It's time for the hour of the teardrop." Astroida finished, taking her wand in her hand and lifting it up high above her head.

_Conform to my likeness, this building of old_

_Transfigure to majesty as you morph and remold_

_Stand as tall as the mountains as I now reign supreme_

Astroida's teardrop cheekmarks started to glow. Magic flowed from out of Astroida's wand and throughout the room in a powerful wave, moving from the top of the room to the bottom. The room started to shift and transform, changing into colors of black, blues, and greens. Astroida slowly sat down, taking a breath as she felt the power flow through her, sitting in that chair.

_As the peasants bow down to their new vengeful queen_

Abandoned Butterfly Castle had now been transformed into a palace of darkness.


	33. Army of Shadows

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 33: Army of Shadows**

The sun was beginning to set. Astroida stood by a tall window, staring down at the citizens below. Her newly transformed castle made her feel empowered and strong. She now felt that she sent a message to the world; a message that she was not one to be messed with.

"Hmm...I wonder if I should've gone with a shade of crimson." Astroida spoke as she observed her new place of conquest. Suddenly, a loud rumble came from the streets. Astroida looked out ahead, seeing a fleet of trucks and vans driving towards the castle. "Oh, look. The cavalry's here." She said sarcastically.

The military had arrived. They weren't going to let this mysterious transformation go without investigation. This new world, to the humans, was mysterious. Sure; they now knew that the monsters meant no harm. However, they had never seen anything like magic before. As the vehicles parked, men and women came out of them, on guard, and prepared for anything that might attack or come at them. A van parked in the very front of the group. Ms. Lily came out of it, stepping forward as the leader. General Dinkleberry came beside her.

"Alright. What are we looking at here?" Ms. Lily asked.

"A castle completely transformed in the blink of an eye. There may be a culprit inside." General Dinkleberry told her.

"Culprit? I'm sorry but there's been no wrongdoing. We just need to make sure that whatever happened is safe to the peoples of Earthni." Ms. Lily responded before taking out a pair of binoculars, observing the castle, seeing a woman standing at a window high above as she squinted her eyes. She held her hand out. "Megaphone." She spoke. She brought the megaphone up to her mouth.

"Will whoever is in this castle please come down. We mean no harm. We only want to talk. " Ms. Lily told Astroida, who was staring at Ms. Lily up behind the castle window. let out a chuckle.

"How quaint. She thinks she can convince me to come down and let her overpower me." Astroida said to herself. "Maybe I haven't shown enough of my supremacy." Astroida looked up at the sky before walking away from the window. Ms. Lily watched as Astroida disappeared from view.

"Well...that didn't work." Ms. Lily said to herself. She brought the megaphone up to her mouth again. "If you do not comply with our requests, we will have to come in there by force." She added.

Astroida looked around the room, observing some shadows scattered across the room by the setting sun. She then held her wand high in the air, about to conjure up another one of her spells.

_Shadows surrounding every corner_

_Heed to my one solemn order._

The shadows from around the room started to move, like mist or fog, coming closer to Astroida.

_I summon you to serve and hear my command._

_Protect your ruler, I so rightfully demand._

The shadows scattered, making their way into multiple suits of armor standing around the room. The clouds of darkness began to form a body within the suits, transforming into Astroida's faithful knights. They began to walk towards their summoner, making a spine-chilling wheezing noise as they came closer. They stopped, standing at attention, waiting for their command.

"Take to the ground, my shadow sentinels. Don't let anyone get into the castle." Astroida told them.

"Yeeessss my queeeeen." The shadow sentinels breathed in a disturbing manner, turning their bodies to the exit of the throne room, making their way down to the entrance.

"Men!" Astroida yelled before her 15 loyal men entered the room, answering her call. "You're with me. Stay within the castle. If anyone breaches the walls..." Astroida continued. "...take them down."

"Yes, my queen!" They all responded, bowing to their ruler before leaving the room to guard the outside of the throne room. Astroida then walked over to a glowing pink crystal sitting in the very center of the throne room.

"I have more important matters to attend to." Astroida spoke as she grinned.

Ms. Lily and her men waited for a response from Astroida.

"I'm not hearing anything, mam." General Dinkleberry told Ms. Lily. Suddenly, they all heard a loud breathing sound coming from the castle door. The men of the military all stood their guard.

"Wait." Ms. Lily told them. They saw the gate open, revealing an army; an army of shadows encased in metal armor. The shadow sentinels stood in formation in front of the entrance, taking their swords and holding them up, ready to attack. The military could hear a creepy breath from each and every one of them.

"What in the world are they?!" General Dinkleberry asked in shock, looking at the shadow sentinels.

"I...I don't know." Ms. Lily responded. The shadow sentinels continued to guard the entrance, saying nothing as they stood at arms.

"Well, it's your call, mam. What do we do?" The general asked. Ms. Lily looked down to the ground, thinking to herself for a minute before lifting her head.

"I'll be back." Ms. Lily told him as she turned her body, walking over to her van.

"Where are you going?" The general asked. Ms. Lily reached in her jacket pocket, taking out her cell phone.

"I need to make a call." She replied.

Star and the gang, along with Mina, headed back to the Diaz residence. Now knowing that Astroida is back and planning on enacting her revenge on the Earthni-ans, they had to stop her as soon as possible. The only problem was that they didn't know where she was or what she was planning on doing to Earthni. Even Mina, the mewman who helped in bringing Astroida back, didn't know a thing. They all decided to meet up at the house to come up with ideas on how to find Astroida and stop her before she causes any harm.

They all gathered in the dining room around the table. Some sat while others stood. Angie came over with a tray of food.

"Would anyone like some mini-sandwiches?" Angie asked the crowd.

"Why yes! I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!" River spoke as he reached his hands out.

"Yo! That's like, really offensive!" Ponyhead exclaimed. River took about 5 mini-sandwiches in his hands and started stuffing them in his mouth like he hasn't eaten in weeks.

"Woah. Alright. I didn't expect to see that today." Tom said, a little disgusted as he watched River fit all the mini-sandwiches in his mouth.

"Please, River. What have we talked about when it comes to table manners?" Moon asked. River stopped chewing his food. He then swallowed all of the sandwich in his mouth in one gulp. Star, however, was in the living room, pacing back and forth as she mumbled. Marco sat on the living room sofa, watching her walk around.

"Um...Marco? Is she alright?" Skywynne asked from the dining room table as she watched Star grumble and talk to herself.

"She's just processing her thoughts." Marco said before shifting his gaze back to Star. "Star?"

"I mean, she can't be anywhere too discrete...but then again, Skywynne said she was clever so-" Star spoke.

"You don't think she could be...you know...somewhere obvious?" Marco asked.

"That's what I'm wondering." Star said before humming, thinking to herself. She walked over to the dining room table as Marco followed her. "Okay, Skywynne? Tell me about your sister."

"Well...she's uh-" Skywynne started before being interrupted by Ponyhead.

"Hold up, girl!" Ponyhead exclaimed. Everyone turned her head to look at her. "Listen, okay? I _cannot_ sit next to this crazy lady. I'm getting so many bad vibes, it's like, not comfortable." Ponyhead spoke.

"What?" Mina sounded.

"Pony? She's not crazy anymore. She's normal now." Star replied.

"What? Since when?!" Ponyhead exclaimed.

"Since a few hours ago! We told you over the phone, remember?" Marco spoke.

"Ohhhhh you were calling me during my pilates. Dude, I'm sorry I wasn't even paying attention." Ponyhead told him.

"...how can you do pilates when you don't even have-" Marco started

"Wait a minute. Where have you even been?" Star asked.

"Look. It was a life or death situation, alright? You've gotta cut me some slack, people." Ponyhead told everyone.

"Really? What happened?" Eclipsa asked.

"I was watching the Bam Ui Pati movie premiere." Ponyhead told them.

"Okay, how is that a life or death situation?!" Marco asked.

"Hey! If I didn't see that premiere, I would've died, okay?" Ponyhead told him.

"Thaaat's not a life or death situation, Ponyhead." Marco replied.

"Woah hey! For you, it's not!" Ponyhead replied.

"Marco is right! A death situation is batting against the hands of a ferocious dragon spider! Haha! What a challenge! I ripped it's legs off and claimed victory as I stood over it's remains." River spoke.

"River, please!" Moon exclaimed.

"Oh yeeeeaaah! I remember that!" Star replied. Tom suddenly felt sick, running over to the bathroom.

"Cool. I want one." Janna spoke. Angie poked her head out of the kitchen, holding Mariposa.

"I'm sorry but...what is a dragon spider?" Angie asked.

"I'd rather not know the answer to that." Rafael added, walking up behind her.

"May I continue?" Skywynne asked, wondering what in the world just happened.

"Yeah. Sure. Why not. Whatever." Ponyhead replied. Skywynne raised an eyebrow before turning her attention to Star.

"So...what do you need to know?" Skywynne asked Star.

"A lot. Like...what were Astroida's favorite places to go to? How does her brain work? What are her motives?" Star asked.

"Well...I can tell you that Astroida loved being by herself. She loved staying indoors by herself working on her spells. Astroida would just...stay in her room with the door closed." Skywynne explained.

"Ah. So she was an introvert then?" Eclipsa asked.

"I would say so." Skywynne said. "She also loved proving how well she excelled with her magic. She never liked to fail. It was almost a fear or a flaw in her mind."

"Soooo she also had a superiority complex." Marco said.

"Mmm-hmm." Skywynne said.

"Okay. Okay. So she likes to be a hermit and she craves perfection. That narrows it down." Star spoke.

"Does it though?" Janna asked.

"Noooot really." Star replied before turning to Mina. "Are you sure you don't know anything about Astroida and where she's headed?"

"I'm sorry, Star, but I've told you all I know. I wish I could be of more help." Mina replied to her. Suddenly, Star heard her phone ring. Space Unicorn started to play. Star and Marco walked over to the kitchen for some privacy before Star looked at her phone screen.

"Unknown number?" Star spoke with a raised eyebrow. "Uhhh...should I answer this?" She asked Marco.

"I would. You never know if it's important." Marco replied.

"True." Star said before tapping the answer button on the screen, putting the phone up to her ear. "Uh...hello?"

"Star? This is Ms. Lily from the FBI." Ms. Lily said from the other end of the call.

"Ms. Lily?" Star spoke, never expecting to hear her voice again.

"Put it on speaker." Marco told Star. Star took the phone and tapped it.

"Hi! Sooo...what's up?" Star asked.

"Is Marco with you?" Ms. Lily asked.

"Yeah. Right here." Marco replied.

"Good. I need your help; both your help." Ms. Lily told them.

"Why? What's going on?" Star asked. Rafael came into the kitchen all of a sudden.

"Kids? You might want to look at the news." Rafael told them. Star and Marco ran into the living room. Angie was sitting on the sofa with Mariposa, feeding her some milk as the television was on, streaming a news broadcast.

"A marvel to some, a mystery to most. As you can see behind me, this once abandoned castle now stands as a building in a brand new form. Some reports say that this castle transformed within seconds, almost as if it happened by magic." A female news reporter said in front of the camera. Star and Marco noticed what was once abandoned Butterfly Castle now was a castle of darkness.

"Magic?" Star spoke.

'The FBI is here observing the scene, making sure that what has happened here today will cause no harm to our new beloved world." The newswoman added before holding a hand up to her ear. "I'm sorry. We are now getting reports of strange shadow-like figures at the entrance of the castle."

"What?" Star and Marco spoke as everyone at the table moved over to the living room, watching the television. The camera turned to the entrance, revealing a multitude of shadow sentinels guarding the door.

"Ooookay. That's new." Marco spoke.

"Now you see why I need you to come. You're both way more experienced and knowledgeable in magic than any of us. I feel that you could be a great help to us in figuring out what's going on." Ms. Lily told them through the phone. Star already knew what was happening. She didn't have to think twice about it.

"We'll be right there." Star said.

"Great! Thank you! We'll be waiting for your arrival." Ms. Lily said.

"Cool." Star replied before hanging up the phone call. "Marco? Skywynne? Let's go." Star said. Marco suddenly grabbed her hand.

"Hold on, Star. We're going to go confront Astroida like this?" Marco asked, pointing to his clothes. "I mean, you have battle armor already. Shouldn't we have something too? We have no idea what we're going up against." Marco spoke as Star looked at her armor.

"He's right, Star. I mean, I know what my sister is capable of and by no means is it in any way delicate." Skywynne added.

"True. True. Alright, stand back." Star told everyone. "You two? In front of me." Star told Marco and Skywynne.

"I'm able to create one myself, Star. I have magic too, remember?" Skywynne chuckled, waving her hands around her. A bright light surrounded her, fading away before revealing herself wearing battle armor. She took a look at her armor, amazed at how it turned out. "Ooo! This works." She said gleefully.

"Niiiice! Well, Marco? Stay still!" Star told her boyfriend.

"I swear if it turns me into a Princess Turdina again..." Marco uttered under his breath.

"Mega Battle Armor Transform!" Star exclaimed as she thrust her hands towards Marco. Marco closed his eyes, trying to avoid looking at what was about to hit him. A magical beam came from Star's hands, swirling around Marco. Marco started to giggle.

"Aha! Ha! It tickles! Why does it tickle?! Stop it! Sto- hahaha!" Marco laughed. The magical swirls faded, revealing Marco in a sleek suit of battle armor. Marco observed his new get-up. "Woaaahhh...and I still have my hoodie on!" He gasped, seeing a sword to his side. "And a new sword?! Cool!" He exclaimed. He took the sword out of its holder, taking a glance its shiny blade. The handle of the sword was a blood moon red with decorative details. He then gazed at Star with a smirk. "Hey...hey Star...how do you like me now?" He joked, turning his back to Star, posing for her in his new outfit along with his sword, winking at her. Star giggled and blushed in response to his flirtatious actions.

"Awww." Rafael, Angie, River, and Moon all sounded in reaction to their children being all smitten with one another.

"He's a true prince!" River spoke. Star and Marco immediately turned their heads to their parents, blushing a full-on red. They started clearing their throats, a little embarrassed.

"Anyway, we should get going. No time to waste." Star spoke as she, Marco, and Skywynne started making their way towards the door.

"Wait! Star!" Moon spoke.

"What?" Star responded. Moon walked over to her.

"Are you sure we shouldn't come with you? I mean, you could get hurt. You did before with Mina...sorry, Mina." Moon said.

"It's okay." Mina replied.

"She does have a point you know." Eclipsa said. "The last thing we want is for something to happen to you...again."

"No, no, no. We need you here in case we need back-up." Star said.

"But-" Moon started.

"Look. I got Marco and Skywynne with me. I'll be fine!" Star told them confidently.

"Well...can you at least bring Tom, Janna, and Ponyhead with you in case anything goes wrong?" Moon asked.

"Sooooo...wait. That would mean that you, Dad, Eclipsa, and Mina would be the back-up... _for_...the back-up." Star concluded.

"When you put it that way...yes." Moon said. "I propose that they call us the moment they notice something wrong." Moon explained.

"She's right! B-Fly? I'm not leaving you by yourself! You're too important of a friend to me, okay? If I see them try to hurt you I'll tear them APART!" Ponyhead told her best friend as she swung her horn...breaking a glass in the process. Ponyhead blankly stared at the glass shards "...I can fix this. I swear." Star sounded before letting out a breath.

"I guess we could do that, yeah." Star said with a smile. "Do I have to make armor for you guys too?" She asked.

"Nah. I got this." Tom told her before snapping his fingers, igniting fire and flames all around him. The fire dissipated, revealing him in the same battle outfit he wore when he helped in the battle against Meteora. He then turned to look at Janna and Ponyhead. "Yeeeaah I would give you guys armor but...uh..."

"Yeah. We're good." Janna said.

"Wha? No no no I want to see some good Ponyhead armor, girl! B-fly! Hit it!" Ponyhead exclaimed.

"Ugh. Do I have to-" Janna started before Star thrust her hands out towards them.

"Mega Battle Armor Transform!" Star shouted before another magical beam surrounded Janna and Ponyhead. The beam faded shortly after, revealing both of them in new suits of armor.

"YEAHHH! THIS IS HOT! Come on. Tell me this is hot. I'm not wrong." Ponyhead spoke. Janna, however, was standing as stiff as a wooden board.

"I feel so constricted." Janna said.

Nighttime had arrived. The moons glowed high in the sky, illuminating Earthni down below. Star, Marco, Skywynne, Tom, Janna, and Ponyhead arrived at the scene in Tom's convertible. Tom parked it right behind the fleet of military vehicles. The group walked up to a man guarding the scene, making sure no bystanders get in the way of their work. Star tried walking past the guard until he stopped her in her tracks.

"Excuse you!" Ponyhead spoke.

"Sorry, miss. No bystanders beyond this point." The guard told them.

"I'm sorry?" Skywynne uttered.

"Uh, dude? We were called here." Star said.

"Oh, really?" The man spoke sarcastically. "Well, I'm going to need proof of that in order for you to pass." The man told her.

"Show him the phone number, Star." Marco whispered, tapping on her shoulder.

"Oh yeah." Star replied quietly. She reached in her pocket and took out her phone, tapping the screen before bringing up her recent calls. She showed the guard the phone, turning the screen to face him.

"Ah. Ms. Lily called you, huh?" The man asked, observing the screen.

"Yeah. She did. Just ask her!" Star said. The guard turned his head back to Star

"No can do, miss. She's busy leading the investigation. You'll have to wait here until she's available to take you back." The guard told her.

"Why can't you take us to her?" Skywynne asked.

"I have to hold my post. No exceptions." The guard replied.

"Okay, seriously, it's not that hard. All you have to do is get your radio and say, 'Hey!-'...wait, what's her first name?" Star asked.

"I couldn't tell you even if I knew...besides. My radio just broke a few minutes ago. I sent one of the men to fetch me a new one." The man told her.

"Of course it did." Marco replied, not even surprised.

"Wait. Are you saying she doesn't have a first name?" Tom asked.

"I have no clue. No one knows her first name or anything about her really. She's not bad or anything. That's for sure. She's been a great help to all of us for some time. She's just...kind of a walking mystery to all of us." The man explained. Star never really took the time to think about that. It was weird to her. Even after telling Ms. Lily that she and Marco were the reason Earth and Mewni were merged, she was okay with it and vowed to keep it a secret. What kind of stranger would be alright with something like that? There was something about Ms. Lily, even though Star was willing to help her, that was just mysterious. It wasn't even a bad mystery in Star's mind. It was just...strange. Star couldn't help but wonder;...who even was she?

"Wait a minute. Why am I telling you this?!" The guard asked, baffled.

"Maybe we're just that trusting." Janna said. The man stared at her with a raised eyebrow.

"...but yet, you send off a really weird vibe to me." The man replied.

"Duuude. Just let us iiiiin. We're the good guys! You don't even have to worry about us messing anything up!" Star spoke.

"Sorry, miss. Not a cha-" The man started before hearing a female voice behind him.

"Stand down, soldier. They're with me." Ms. Lily spoke, walking up to them. "Star. Marco. Thank you for coming." She spoke before noticing Star's cheekmarks. "What are..." Ms. Lily asked, pointing to the hearts on Star's cheeks.

"Oh, these? It's a story for another day." Star said. "There wouldn't be enough time to tell you it right now."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're here..." Ms. Lily said before noticing Tom, Janna, and Ponyhead. "Although I distinctly remember only asking you and Marco to come." She added.

"Oh no no! They're with us! We're friends! Plus, my mom wouldn't let me come without back-up." Star told her.

"Yeah. They're cool." Marco added.

"Oh, except Tom here. He's hot." Janna smirked. Tom's eyes bulged as he blushed, knowing that Janna said that in a flirtatious manner...and a literal one.

"She means...um...the fact that I can...do this." Tom said, snapping his fingers, creating a flame.

"Yo! If you get that near my mane I'm gonna-" Ponyhead exclaimed.

"Ah. Well, it wouldn't hurt to have more of you on the team. Come with me." Ms. Lily responded as she gestured for everyone to follow her. Star raised an eyebrow once again. Marco took notice to it.

"You okay?" Marco asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. It's just...don't you find it strange that she is putting so much trust in us? I mean, she just met Tom, Janna, and Ponyhead and she's not even questioning it. Tom literally lit his hands on fire and she _still_ didn't find it weird." Star said.

"You know...you have a point." Marco said before hearing Ms. Lily speak.

"Alright, everyone. We're here." Ms. Lily spoke. The group looked straight ahead, seeing the shadow sentinels standing in formation in front of the castle entrance.

"They're even creepier in person." Marco uttered.

"What even are they?" Janna asked.

"We honestly have no idea what those...things...even are. But we're making sure to take every precaution not to cause any more damage to the city. That's why I called you all in." Ms. Lily explained.

"Well, I've never even seen these guys before but what I _do_ know though is that everything has a weakness. We just have to figure out what it is." Star said. Marco took a close look at the shadow sentinels.

"Wait...they aren't even people! They're made of a weird smoke or something." Marco said. Skywynne observed the soldiers intently.

"Hmm...I don't think it's smoke. You usually can't see through smoke." Skywynne mentioned. Star squinted her eyes, observing the soldiers as well. She then gasped.

"...they're shadows." Star spoke.

"They're what?" Ponyhead asked.

"Shadows. They're shadows! They are living and breathing...you know...shadows!" Star told them.

"No, like, I heard you the first time. I just didn't believe it when you said it." Ponyhead spoke.

"How is that possible?" Marco asked, shocked.

"Never doubt the possibilities when it comes to magic, Marco. Anything can happen." Star told him. "I thought the fact that we combined Earth and Mewni would make that pretty clear to you."

"Eh. True." Marco shrugged.

"These shadow...whatevers... _have_ to have some sort of weakness though." Star spoke. "Agh! But what is it?!"

"I don't know, but I don't think we can wait here much longer. Astroida's probably planning something bad up there." Janna said. Star let out a sigh.

"Astroida?" Ms. Lily spoke.

"All you need to know is that she's bad news." Marco told her.

"Okay." Star turned her head to face Ms. Lily. "Do you think you and your men could distract the shadow guards while Marco, Skywynne and I infiltrate the castle?"

"Well...I'm sorry but are you sure that's wise? We would be putting ourselves in harm's way." Ms. Lily told her.

"Look. You can hold them back for as long as you can so we can get inside. Besides, while you're at it, you can figure out a weakness. I mean, they're shadows. I don't think they do anything else but stand there and fight and...breathe...seriously. The way they breathe is creepy." Star told her. Ms. Lily looked to her side, contemplating Star's idea. She looked back at her.

"We'll do what we can." Ms. Lily told her.

"Sweet. Seriously, try _anything_ to take them down. I'm guessing they're made of magic so their weakness could be anything." Star let out a breath and put her palms together, rubbing them. "Alright. Time to get inside." Star said.

"How are you going to do that? The entrance is blocked. What if the only way in is up high on the tower?" Janna asked.

"A-duh. I can fly? Did you guys already forget about my butterfly form?" Star asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yeaaahh." Tom spoke.

"You sure you can still transform?" Marco asked.

"Well, it's been a while so I think I just have to concentrate." Star replied as everyone took a few steps back, giving her some room. She closed her eyes, focusing on her transformation. "Okay, okay, okay. Dip down. Come on. You've done this before." She said to herself. Suddenly, a bright light gleamed from her chest, covering Star's entire body before fading away a few seconds after. Bright yellow wings grew from Star's back as her dress was now a bright yellow. She was now in Butterfly form.

"Haha! I can still do it!" Star exclaimed happily.

"Wait. Skywynne. Do you have a butterfly form?" Star asked her.

"I'm afraid not. I've dipped down once in my lifetime but I'm afraid that was just a simple spell that I could do without my wand. I haven't reached butterfly form yet." Skywynne told her.

"Well, mom did say that it takes years of training to do it. You'll get there." Star replied, thinking to herself. Meanwhile, Ms. Lily stared at Star's new form in complete amazement.

"That's...that's incredible!." Ms. Lily commented.

"It's cool, right?" Marco said.

"So how were you thinking of getting inside?" Tom asked.

"Hmm...is there a window or-" Star asked.

"How about a back door?" Janna said, suddenly holding her laptop.

"...do you seriously bring your laptop with you wherever you go now?" Marco asked.

"Doesn't matter. Please, Janna. Continue." Star said. Janna nodded in response.

"According to these security cameras from nearby business locations, there is a back entrance that isn't guarded at all. I'm guessing neither Astroida or the shadow things even know about it." Janna spoke.

"I'm sorry but how are you looking at security camera feeds with-" Ms. Lily started.

"I uh...wouldn't ask that question." Marco said, caring about Janna's safety...and making sure she didn't end up in jail.

"This is good though! We have a way in!"

"That means you don't need your butterfly form, right?" Marco asked.

"Eh, it's more powerful than my regular mewman form. I might as well take advantage of it. I could use it to fly over the shadow guards so they can't reach us. My butterfly form is strong enough to carry both of you with me anyway." Star explained. "Tom? Janna? Ponyhead? You guys stay with Ms. Lily and her men. Help them battle the shadow guards."

"Please, girl. I'm PUMPED AND READY!" Ponyhead exclaimed, lighting up her horn, which almost flew in Tom's face.

"Watch it!" Tom shouted.

"So...are we all good to go?" Star asked the group.

"I think so." Marco said. Skywynne stood stiff, staring at the ground in deep thought.

"Skywynne? You ready?" Star asked, concerned. She understood what Skywynne was feeling in a way. She was about to confront her sister again; the sister that Skywynne accidentally threw of Mewni with her gravity deletion spell. Skywynne had to be drowning in fear. She didn't answer Star. Skywynne was spacing out. Star came over to her and put her hands on her shoulders. "Skywynne?"

"Huh? Wha-?" Skywynne spoke.

"We're going to be okay. I promise." Star told her. Skywynne gave her a soft smile.

"Alright. I trust you Star...with everything." Skywynne replied. Star smiled right back.

"I'm glad." Star told her before turning to face the castle again. "Okay. Marco? Skywynne? Come with me." Star spoke. "Ms. Lily? Good luck." Ms. Lily nodded in response. Star, Marco, and Skywynne ran over to the very edge of the group so they were in the clear of any shadow sentinels coming after them. Tom, Janna, and Ponyhead got into position as Ms. Lily grabbed her megaphone and turned around to face the soldiers.

"Attention men!" Ms. Lily spoke.

"Yes, mam!" The crowd replied, standing at attention, saluting her.

"Our main task is to find a vulnerability with these beings. Your weapons are deemed useless. They will do nothing but phase right through them. Look for another way to slow them down. Distract them. Hold them back. Is that clear?" Ms. Lily asked the group.

"Mam! Yes, mam!" They all replied. Ms. Lily turned around, facing the shadow sentinels.

"Alright!" Ms. Lily responded confidently, taking a few steps forward. She took the megaphone away from her mouth for a second. "Let's make a little noise." She took her megaphone and held it near her mouth. "Shields!" She exclaimed. All of the military men took their shields and held them in front of them. Tom, Janna, and Ponyhead looked around, realizing they didn't have shields. Ms. Lily turned her head, seeing the three of them confused.

"Oh, um, you three can just...you know..." Ms. Lily started.

"Don't worry about us. We've done this sort of thing before." Janna told her.

"Yeah." Tom added, igniting his hands. "We got this."

"Seriously, like, we're the best in the business...especially me because you know, you should look like, super beautiful when going into battle too, am I right?" Ponyhead spoke, messing with her hair, trying to look good.

"Uh...sure?" Ms. Lily said, confused. Star, Marco, and Skywynne watched from a distance as they saw the group get ready to charge at the shadow sentinels.

"Are you sure that they all have this handled?" Skywynne asked.

"Pfft, of course. They're pretty experienced with battle and combat." Star said.

"Yeah. They've helped us in the past." Marco added.

"...even Ponyhead?" Skywynne asked.

"Well..." Marco spoke, unsure.

"Marco!" Star exclaimed, hearing his uncertainty.

"Fine. Yes. Her too." Marco corrected himself. The three of them continued to watch the group, getting ready for when they engage the distraction.

"Let's do this." Janna spoke.

"Go! Go! Go!" Ms. Lily exclaimed to the men. They all charged at the shadow sentinels, who began to notice that they were getting attacked. The shadow sentinels all breathed a raspy breath before coming forward, about to collide with the military soldiers.

"Wow. It's like an epic battle brought to life...except the...you know...shadow...things." Marco spoke. Star watched closely as the shadow sentinels started to move away from the entrance, completely distracted.

"Alright, guys." Star spoke, taking Marco in one arm and Skywynne in the other. "Let's go." Star said as she started to lift off the ground, carrying Marco and Skywynne with her. She flew with great speed to the back of the castle, seeing the back entrance Janna was talking about. Suddenly, they noticed three shadow sentinels guarding it.

"Uh, Star?!" Skywynne spoke, seeing the guards.

"They must have found the back door just now." Star spoke. She came up with an idea. "Marco! High fly kick!" Star told Marco.

"On it! Get me closer to them!" Marco said. Star flew closer to the three shadow sentinels. Star took Marco and lowered him just a bit with her arms. Once he got close enough to a shadow sentinel, Marco took a leg and push kicked him away from the door.

"Ya!" Marco exclaimed, knocking the shadow sentinel down. Star got near the other two shadow sentinels. "Hiya!" Marco took his two legs and split kicked the both of them out of the way, knocking them to the ground as well.

"Nice one!" Star told him.

"Thanks!" Marco replied before noticing the back door being completely shut. Once Star came closer to the back door, Marco glanced over at Skywynne. "Wanna help?" Marco asked her.

"By all means!" Skywynne said confidently. Marco and Skywynne got themselves ready before Star flew them over to the door. Marco and Skywynne worked together, opening the back door with a strong kick. The door swung open with no fault. Star put Marco and Skywynne down on the ground once they got inside.

"Woah! That was fun!" Skywynne said happily, slightly jumping in place.

"Welcome to our world!" Star replied.

"Guys! The door!" Marco exclaimed, pointing to the shadow sentinels outside the castle, getting themselves back up on their feet after a rough take-down. Star looked around, trying to find something to bar the door with so they wouldn't get inside. She found an item and pointed to it.

"Hand me that ax on the wall!" Star exclaimed. Marco ran over to the wall and grabbed the ax before quickly running back to Star, putting it in her six hands. Marco and Skywynne grabbed the door and closed it as fast as they could. Star took the ax and put it through the handles, making sure the shadow sentinels couldn't get back in once she did so. She let out a breath, realizing it was working.

"Whew! Well, that was close!" Marco spoke.

"Yeah. Thankfully we didn't run into any-" Skywynne started.

"Problems? Well, now you have fifteen problems to deal with." One of Astroida's men spoke from behind them. Star, Marco, and Skywynne turned their heads, seeing the fifteen men standing there, ready to engage in battle.

"Oh, bring it." Star said angrily as she, Marco, and Skywynne got into battle position.


	34. Spells, Swords, and Secrecy

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 34: Spells, Swords, and Secrecy**

Star, Marco, and Skywynne were now at a stand-off with the fifteen men, ready to go into combat. The men looked like they meant business with their angry faces, strong muscles, and shiny armor. Star observed the situation closely, trying to think of a last-minute plan.

"So...any ideas, guys?" Skywynne asked anxiously.

"Well, there's three of us and fifteen of them. So...uh…" Marco spoke, thinking a plan out.

"So we each take five? That gives me so much hope." Star replied sarcastically.

"Okay, Star. Okay. Do you have any better ideas?" Marco asked her in annoyance.

"Ummmmm…" Star blankly stared for a few seconds, trying to think of something better. "Nnnnnope. Don't have a thing." Star replied, shrugging.

"Exactly. Besides, they don't have any wea-" Marco started before the men all reached behind them, drawing their swords out of nowhere. "...nevermind."

"Alright. Power-up time." Star said before she and Skywynne ignited their hands with magical energy. Marco looked back and forth at Star and Skywynne before staring straight ahead with a blank expression.

"Well, that helps _me_ out." Marco said sarcastically.

"Uh, Marco? I gave you a sword, remember?" Star asked, pointing to his side. Marco looked down, seeing his sword in the holder hanging on his waist.

"Oh. Right." Marco said. He reached for the sword, taking it out as a metal sound came from it. He held it in front of him, ready to face what was coming his way. "Hah. Wow. Takes me back to my neverzonian days." Marco spoke.

"Where?" Skywynne asked.

"The Neverzone. Long story." Marco told her.

"He's technically in his thirties but...like...not really." Star said, smiling.

"...alright then." Skywynne spoke.

"So, I got the men on the left?" Star told them, hopping on her toes.

"Wait, who said get the ones on the left?" Marco asked. Star stopped hopping and put her hands on her hips, turning to Marco.

"Um, corny copie kernel doo did. That's who." Star said.

"Wait, cornucopia what now?" Marco asked. One of the men rolled their eyes.

"Um, hello? We're in the middle of a brawl?" The man spoke.

"Corny Copie Kernel Doo? Plant the seeds and grow it new? It's for when you have trouble choosing something! I can't believe you've never heard of that." Star told him

"Ohhhh you mean eenie meenie meinie mo!" Marco asked.

"Okay, first of all? Who's Mo? Second of all, I have no idea what you just said." Star reacted. A few of the men lowered their swords and slouched, waiting for the fight to commence.

"This is ridiculous." Another man spoke.

"Look. The point is I just think that we should all decide who we're going to face, okay?" Marco told her. The fifteen men all took a glance at each other.

"That's it." One of the men spoke. The fifteen men looked back at Star, Marco, and Skywynne, charging towards them with loud battle cries. The trio stared at them with wide eyes.

"Pick whoever you want!" Marco said before they all split up, moving in different directions. The men began to scatter, chasing them about.

* * *

"Book! Candle! Thermometer! Jeff!" Janna exclaimed as she was throwing everything out of her backpack towards the shadow sentinels, including a skull head. "Lapto- oh wait no. I'm just going to put this back." She spoke as she looked in her bag for more items to use as weapons. "There's got to be something in here." Janna breathed. Ponyhead was nearby using her body to push a few sentinels out of the way. She turned, seeing a sword being swung right at her. Ponyhead ducked underneath it. She rolled her eyes.

"Seriously! These things are so annoying!" Ponyhead exclaimed.

"Don't stop! Hit them with everything you got!" Ms. Lily told the crowd as she jumped back from another sword being swung. Every soldier on the ground was at war with a shadow sentinel. There had to be hundreds of them. Everyone tried throwing everything they could at them. Unfortunately, nothing was working. Tom was throwing fireballs at a few of the sentinels, backing up towards Janna at the same time to see how she was doing. The fireballs made the shadow sentinels wince a bit. However, it didn't hinder or hurt them in any way whatsoever.

"What the heck is up with these guys!?" Tom asked.

"I don't know but Star says everything made of magic has a weakness so there's got to be something to slow them down." Janna replied. As she scavenged through her pack again, she spotted something that could be useful, making her face light up. "Hey, Tom! Target practice?" She told him as she took out some sticks of dynamite from her pack, tossing it in her hand like a softball. Tom smirked, lifting himself up in the air.

"Now we're talking." Tom replied, snapping his fingers, igniting his hands aflame. Janna threw the sticks of dynamite in the air towards a group of shadow sentinels. Tom, at the right moment, threw fireballs at the sticks, causing them to explode right at the sentinels. Tom floated back down to the ground next to Janna. They both waited to see the results. Once the smoke cleared, the sentinels were visible. Their armor was a bit damaged but the bodies inside their suits were still intact.

"Ugh. Those were my last few sticks. Well, time to restock." Janna said, taking out her phone and typing on it. Tom suddenly noticed a shadow sentinel coming right for Janna.

"Janna! Watch out!" Tom said, pushing Janna out of the way. They both dropped to the ground, making it so Janna was unintentionally placed right on top of Tom. Tom and Janna looked at each other wide-eyed, blushed, and got right back up. Tom was clearing his throat.

"Well, uh...thanks for the save, dude." Janna said before doing a bro-fist to Tom's shoulder. Tom winced.

"Ow." Tom said, rubbing his shoulder. Janna stopped for a second, looking at Tom as he felt a little pain. Janna bit her lip before kissing his cheek. Tom's eyes lit up as he gently touched his cheek.

"That's for uh...hurting your shoulder. Yeah." Janna spoke before running off and push-kicking a few shadow sentinels to the ground.

"Wow." Tom said. A shadow sentinel suddenly breathed behind his neck, making Tom jump in fright. "Ah!" He shouted before blasting the sentinel's face with fire. Ponyhead was nearby, looking at a slow-moving sentinel coming for her. She chuckled a slight bit.

"Seriously, these shadow things are weak. Like, they wouldn't do anything too harmful-" Ponyhead spoke. Suddenly, a shadow sentinel swung his sword at her. Ponyhead managed to dodge it...except a bit of her hair was chopped off by the sharp edge of the blade. Ponyhead froze in terror before her face was filled with rage.

"Oh, you're dead, son." Ponyhead spoke as the stars in her eyes changed to fire.

"Ohhhhhh no. That was a mistake!" Tom said. Ponyhead tilted her head down, lighting up her horn.

"YOU'RE ABOUT TO FACE THE WRATH OF THE PONY!" She proclaimed. Ponyhead began to twirl round and round, so fast that her horn acted as if it was like a drill. She darted forward towards a sentinel with great speed, piercing its armor straight through, almost like she made a shadow sentinel kabob with her horn.

"Ow! Ow. Ow. Okay. That was so painful. Wait. I'm legit sick right now. I seriously feel like I'm going to throw up. That's so gross but I can't help it." Ponyhead spoke. The shadow sentinel that she pierced started getting back up on their feet. "Woah woah what's happening?! Hey! Yo!" Ponyhead yelled. The shadow sentinel took Ponyhead's horn in its hands.

"Okay...you DID NOT just touch the horn." Ponyhead told the sentinel before it threw Ponyhead in the air away from him, watching her fly farther and farther in the air. "SO RUDE!" She exclaimed as she was thrown across the street.

Tom turned his head, seeing Ms. Lily surrounded by about five shadow sentinels, about to take her down.

"I'm coming Ms. Lily!" Tom called.

"Don't worry. I got this covered." Ms. Lily said before she got into a karate stance. "I'm about to make a scene." The shadow sentinels started creeping closer and closer, about to punch her noggin before she ducked into a split, making the shadow sentinels all do a fist bump. She then took her leg and did a sweep kick, knocking them all to the ground. She flipped herself back up with a fancy karate move, letting out a satisfied breath.

"Woah." Janna breathed as she came beside Tom. "How'd you learn to do that?" Janna asked.

"Oh, I have some reliable sources. But now's not the time to talk about that." Ms. Lily said. "Duck!"

"Wait, where?" Tom asked as he looked around. Janna rolled her eyes and grabbed his head, ducking both him and herself down, revealing a shadow sentinel behind them. Ms. Lily made a fist and punched the shadow sentinel right in the face.

* * *

Star turned her body after flying a few feet in her butterfly form. Three of the men were charging at her with their swords drawn. Star took her hands and thrust them forward.

"Dagger Crystal Heart Attack!" Star exclaimed. A wave of sharp-pointed hearts shot from Star's hands in a powerful beam. The hearts bounced right off of the armor, only making a few scratches. "Darn it. Uh...Strawberry Annihilation!" Star yelled before a wave of strawberries blasted from her palms. The men crossed their arms across their faces like a shield, defending themselves against the magic blast. Star couldn't believe they were defending themselves against all her magic spells. "Huh? How the heck are you doing that?!" Star asked them, baffled.

"We were trained in combat by a magical queen and a Solarian warrior psychopath. We know all spells past and present." One of the men asked.

"Well, maybe it's time to create some for the future." Star said confidently, taking her fingers and cracking them, getting herself ready to cast a spell.

"Uh…" Some of the men muttered under their breath.

"Dizzy Dragonfly Distortion!" Star yelled, thrusting her hands forward. A magical beam of colorful sparkling dragonflies came from her hands. They flew in circles around the three men, causing them to become really dizzy. They collapsed on the floor, holding their heads as they tried recovering from the dizziness. Star observed her work, dusting her hands off before two other men started coming after her.

"Ah!" She yelped as she flew up and away.

Marco ran over to an empty area in the hall before being confronted by four of the men. He turned around, seeing the four men with their swords drawn.

"Oh please." Marco laughed before taking his foot and kicking the men's hands, making their swords get caught in the ceiling. "Well, then. Gentlemen? Engarde!" Marco said. One of the men suddenly kicked the side of his hand, making his sword fall out of his hands over to the other side of the room. "Hey!"

"Engarde." One of the men sarcastically taunted back.

"Come on, man! That sword's new!" Marco exclaimed. He took a deep breath, calming himself down, holding his palms forward. "You know what? No big deal. Who needs swords…" Marco said before doing a combination of punches and kicks. "When you've got karate as a back-up defense." He finished. The four men suddenly got into karate poses as well, ready to fight. "What the…" Marco followed with another intimidating pose, trying to look better than them. The four men followed with the same thing. Star was a few feet away, watching the stand-off happen. She rolled her eyes as she thrust her hands out towards two of the men.

"Bubbly Boba Blinder!" Star shouted as a wave of boba pearls shot out of her hands, surrounding the two men. The boba pearls shined a bright luminous light, temporarily blinding the two men.

"My eyes!" One of the men cried before both their bodies collided with one another, dropping to the floor. Star turned to Marco and his opponents.

"Oh, someone attack already!" Star yelled. Marco shed a look of confidence, getting into one last intimidating pose. He took his one hand and taunted the men.

"Let's dance." Marco spoke.

"Marco! That's like...so hot! Just saying!" Star exclaimed, infatuated. "Although having some abs would help even more but-"

"Seriously, Star. What is your obsession with abs?!" Marco spoke. "...you really think I'm hot though?" He asked with a blushing smile before realizing that the men were coming after him. "Ah!" Marco yelped before taking his arms and blocking a thrown fist to his head. He looked around, trying to think of something to combat the men with. He caught eye of a tapestry on the wall right nearby.

"Star! I need a lift!" Marco called. Star turned her head.

"I gotcha!" Star replied as she flew right over to him. They both took hold of each other's arms before Star lifted Marco up off the ground. "Give me a toss!" Marco told her. Star started to swing Marco back and forth before throwing him over to a window right above where the tapestry hung. He took the tapestry pole off of the wall and jumped off the window, covering the men right underneath the tapestry as he landed on the ground

"Hey!" One of the men shouted.

"Get this off of me!" Another man exclaimed. Star came by Marco before giving each other a high five.

"Go team!" Marco exclaimed. He and Star suddenly caught eye of two men coming from the left and two from the right.

"You got the right?" Marco asked.

"I got the left!" Star added before they both split up, running in different directions.

Skywynne had five men in front of her, about to attack her head-on. She was backing up, one step after the other, in a slight tinge of fear. She saw a candle stand and knocked it over, thinking it would slow them down. They just stepped right over it.

"Um...I'm not that skilled in this kind of thing!" Skywynne said.

"Skywynne! The spell you were working on with me a while ago! Try it out!" Marco told her loudly as he kicked a guy's back, pushing him away from him.

"But they said they know every spell from past to present!" Skywynne said.

"No one can defend themselves against that spell!" Star exclaimed."

"Wait! But I did!" Marco spoke.

"Okay, yes. Marco did but doesn't mean that they can!" Skywynne stood there in a slight tinge of fear. "Trust me on this!" Star added as she grunted. "Chocolate Caramel Confinement!" She yelled as a wave of caramel shot from her hands, trapping a man in the sticky substance, unable to free himself. Skywynne's eyes lit up. She looked down in thought.

"...she's done the spell before…" Skywynne said to herself. She looked back up at the men with assurance growing within her. Skywynne began to perform what almost looked like a dance. She then quickly spun in a circle before lifting her hands high in the air.

She said the name of the spell loud and proud.

"Warnicorn Stampede!" Skywynne exclaimed. A dozen strong and angry warnicorns emerged from behind her, eager to attack with rage. The men started freaking out, seeing the stampede coming right for them.

"Every man for himself!" One of them cried. They all ran about like little girls, trying to get away from the oncoming troop. The warnicorns galloped closer and closer to the men until the four men were trampled on by the horses, unable to get back up. Skywynne stood there, flabbergasted at the spell she performed just now.

"Well...that's going in the book for sure." Skywynne told herself with her hands on her hips, feeling confident in herself.

* * *

Tom ducked under a sentinel and picked it up, throwing it against a group of sentinels about to attack him.

"It's no use! They're impossible to slow down! They just keep coming!" Tom said.

"If Star says there's a way to slow them down, then I believe her, okay?" Janna asked.

"Well, if you have any bright ideas, that would help!" Tom told her. Janna's face lit up.

"Hold up." Janna spoke. She looked up at the dark, moonlit sky with a concentrated face. "Bright…"

"What's it?" Tom asked. Janna searched through her backpack once again, reaching in and taking out a flashlight. She looked at its side, finding a switch on it. She flipped the switch on, taking the flashlight and aiming it directly at a shadow sentinel. The shadow sentinel made a howling shriek as it's arms, legs, and face disappeared.

"Ha! Yes!" Janna exclaimed in excitement.

"Wait, what? How?!" Tom asked.

"It's simple! Think about it. Shadows thrive in darkness. So the only way you can defeat them is direct light!" Janna said.

"Star was right! There is a weakness!" Tom replied. "You know, I've never seen you so enthusiastic."

"Come on. You know how much I like dark mystic magic. I'm literally fighting creatures made out of darkness. It's awesome. Anyway, tell everyone to get out their flashlights." Janna told him.

"But what about us? We don't have any-" Tom started, pointing at himself and the rest of his friends and comrades before being handed a few flashlights by Janna.

"Here." Janna spoke.

"Where did you get all these?" Tom asked, looking at the pile of flashlights in his hands.

"No time to explain. Go!" Janna said, pushing him forward. Janna twirled the flashlights with her fingers before aiming it at another shadow sentinel. "Let there be light!" She spoke while Tom ran over to Ms. Lily to give her the great news.

"We found their weakness!" Tom told her.

"What is it?" Ms. Lily asked, turning to look at him.

"Light. It's light! Do all the soldiers have flashlights?" Tom asked.

"You better believe it." Ms. Lily replied. She got her megaphone attached to the side of her belt and held it up to her mouth. "Flashlights!" The soldiers all took out a flashlight from their pockets, twirling them around in their fingers like Janna did, holding them tight in their hands seconds after.

"Ooookay. That's showing off." Tom spoke.

"Sorry but...what are we supposed to do with these?" General Dinkleberry asked from nearby.

"Just shine it at them! It's simple! Light defeats darkness!" Janna told them as she made her way over to them.

"But...that defeats the whole yin and yang principle, you know...with the whole light versus darkness mentality because, you know, there should be harmony and-" General Dinkleberry continued.

"Just blast them with the light, General." Ms. Lily said, gently pushing him forward, gesturing for him to go and perform what he was sent over here to do.

"Um, hello?! What about me though?!" Ponyhead asked. Tom took Ponyhead's horn and taped a flashlight on it.

"How's that?" Tom asked. Ponyhead noticed a bunch of shadow sentinels coming towards them. She took her horn and pointed it towards the sentinels, causing about five of them to shriek, then disappear.

"Yo! It's like a laser light show over here! I wish I brought my jams! This would've been hot!" Ponyhead shrugged. "Eh, whatever. NOW COME HERE YOU JERKS!" Ponyhead exclaimed, floating away in a blazing fury. As Janna fought off a few more sentinels, she looked at a taken down one, seeing its shadow start to form again.

"Well, at least we found something that works for a little while." Janna spoke, watching the shadow sentinel regenerate once again.

* * *

Star continued to fight a single man from within the castle. He seemed to be stronger than most of the men for some reason...and more talkative.

"So you think that Earthni is fine the way it is, don't you?" The man asked her.

"Wait, why are you talking to me? Shouldn't we be...you know...battling it out?" Star asked, doing a little sword hand dance.

"You look at this world and think that everything is pure and good?" The man added.

"Well, yeah. I mean, there was some stuff in the past we had to patch up but-...woah! Wait! Hold on! Why am I telling you this?!" Star asked in confusion before thrusting her hands out again. "Lemonade Laser Beam!" She exclaimed as a laser made out of lemonade and halves of lemons and ice shot from her hands. The man dodged it without a hit, swinging a fist at Star. Star counteracted with a magic beam.

"Have you ever wondered why Astroida wants to be queen over this land?" The man asked.

"Well, duh. She's a power-hungry maniac. I've met a few of those kinds of people." Star said.

"Have you ever considered that she wants to make this world right again?" The man asked her. Star raised an eyebrow.

"Right again? Really? From what? Herself?" Star asked. She then pointed her palms to the floor. "Frozen Diamond Slip Floor!" Star exclaimed as the floor below the man became covered in an icy diamond pattern. The man slipped and fell right on his hindquarters. Star had her hands in fists. "Seriously dude. When you start to make sense, let me know because I have no idea what you're talking about."

"There are secrets in this world; secrets that need to be unveiled; that need to be fixed." The man replied, grunting a little from the pain of falling.

"What secrets?! Stop sounding cryptic!" Star said in annoyance. The man stood up and began moving closer to Star. She began to back up towards the wall.

"The truth has been hidden from everyone who has lived on this planet for centuries. Don't you believe that secrets shouldn't be kept from the peoples of this world;...your people?" The man asked. As Star backed up, she stared off into space, confused...yet, curious as to what he was talking about. Suddenly, three other men came from behind the one, pinning her down against the wall, keeping her from performing any other magical spells. Star let out a cry.

"Get...off!" Star cried. Marco turned his head immediately, hearing Star's cry.

"Star!" Marco called. As he made his way quickly over to her, he noticed his sword nearby. He picked it up, ready to fight them off. He stopped once he was at a safe distance. "You better let her go right now!" He commanded in anger.

"Oh look. The prince is wanting to save his princess." One of the men spoke. His comrades laughed at his remark as Star struggled to get free.

"I said...let...her...GO!" Marco swiped his sword across in front of him. A loud shriek of metal came from the sword, making its way to the four men in a gigantic sound wave. The wave caused a strong vibrating pain in the eardrums of the four men. They all cried, immediately letting go of Star and holding their ears. Star didn't feel any pain, much to her surprise.

"Woah." Marco breathed as he watched what was happening. Once Star was freed, she flew over to Marco, turning to face the four men. She powered her hands up with magic once again, freezing the four men in a block of ice. Skywynne was over at another part of the room, blasting the last of the men with a powerful magical beam, knocking them out and to the ground. She made her way over to Star and Marco.

"Well, that takes care of them. Thanks for the save, Marco." Star told him as she rested her head on Marco's shoulder, hugging his arm. Marco leaned his head on Star's.

"Not a problem. But...uh...hoooow did I just do that with my sword?" Marco asked, lifting his head and looking at the sword in his hands.

"I guess I might have given the sword some magical abilities while making your armor? I think?" Star said, shrugging. She looked at Marco. "...you're welcome." She added with a big smile.

"Really? Cool! Wait, it didn't hurt you, did it? How are your ears?" Marco asked, examining her ears. Star put a hand up to her ears.

"I'm fine. Weird. I guess it doesn't affect people with magical abilities." Star told him. She looked down at the ground, deep in thought.

"You okay?" Marco asked.

"Yeah...I'm good. It was just...this guy was telling me there are more secrets being kept from us." Star said.

"Didn't we already take care of all that? You know, with Eclipsa and Meteora?" Marco asked.

"No, no. He was talking about...before that." Star told him. "Well, we don't need to worry about that right now. We have bigger problems." Star took a breath. "Anyway! We're done here! Now time to find Astroi-"

Star, Marco, and Skywynne were hit from behind with a magical sleepytime beam.

Everything went black.


	35. That Empty Feeling

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 35- That Empty Feeling**

Star's eyes slowly opened, awakening after an unplanned hour or so of sleep. Star tried stretching but realized that she couldn't. She was chained to a pillar within the room. She observed her surroundings, realizing that she was in some sort of throne room. Star looked up, looking at a tall ceiling with an open window at the very center of it.

"Wha?" Star breathed, wondering why there was an open window above her. There had to be a reason for that. "Wait a second…" She said to herself. Where did Marco and Skywynne go? Star suddenly heard a male groan. She turned her head to her right, seeing Marco tied to a pole nearby.

"Marco!" Star called.

"Huh...wh-..." Marco sounded, turning his head to the sound of his name. His eyes shot

wide open. "Star! You okay?"

"Who cares. Are you okay?" Star asked.

"I'm okay if you're okay!" Marco said back to her.

"Um, I'm alright too...you know, if anyone's wondering." Another voice said nearby. Star

and Marco immediately turned their heads, seeing Skywynne tied up at a third pillar not too far away from them.

"Oh! Skywynne! Well, at least we're all okay...except being chained to a pillar but anyway! Still! This is good!" Star breathed.

"Okay. Yeah...but...what's that?" Marco asked, looking in the center of the room. Star turned her head, seeing a large, glowing, pink crystal placed in the middle of the floor. She raised an eyebrow. She felt as if she knew what it was...but couldn't exactly recall.

"Why does it look familiar?" Star asked herself. Skywynne turned her head.

"Wait, you've seen it before?" Skywynne asked.

"I don't know. I think? Maybe? I just wish I could remember where I think I've seen it." Star said. She looked over at Marco, who was staring at the crystal with a raised eyebrow. "Okay, you're making the face." Star spoke. Marco snapped out of it, hearing what Star was saying.

"What face?" Marco asked.

"The 'I've seen this before but don't know where I've seen it' face." Star told him.

"Well..." Marco added.

"Hold on. Don't tell me it looks familiar to you too." Skywynne spoke.

"Okay...uh...I won't?" Marco nervously told her and Star.

"You've seen it too!" Star exclaimed.

"Yeah, but...I don't know where." Marco told her.

"Maybe I can help jog your memory just a bit." A voice said from in front of them. Star, Marco, and Skywynne looked up ahead of them, seeing a dark figure sitting at a throne on the other side of the room. The dark figure stood up, walking closer to the trio until her face was revealed. Skywynne's eyes went wide.

"...Astroida?" Skywynne called.

"Hello, sister." Astroida replied, in a vengeful tone, holding the magic wand tightly.

* * *

Janna and her friends continued battling against the shadow sentinels outside the castle alongside Ms. Lily and the soldiers. However, their strength was starting to wear thin. There were too many shadow sentinels to fight off.

"Okay! I don't know about you but I'm getting tired." Ponyhead exclaimed.

"There's too many of them for us to fight!" Tom added. "We need back-up like...now."

"Maybe we can help!" A voice said from nearby. Tom, Janna, and Ponyhead looked around, searching for the source of the voice. They suddenly saw Jackie and Chloe on their skateboards, each holding a heavy-duty flashlight.

"Hey! How did you know to bring flashlights?" Janna asked.

"Oh, we saw a whole bunch of lights from over there. We thought it was a night-time block party so we thought we would bring ours. Turns out we were wrong, I guess." Jackie chuckled as she placed the flashlight on her shoulder. "So, what do you want us to do?"

"Use the flashlights to slow these guys down." Janna told them. Jackie nodded at her before turning her head to Chloe.

"Chloe? Split up." Jackie told Chloe. Chloe nodded before both she and Jackie took their skateboards and began moving at a fast pace towards a group of shadow sentinels, making sure that each of them was on one side of them. They took their flashlights in their hands, twirling them around in their fingers. Once they were close enough to the sentinels, they shined their flashlights, hitting them one by one as they dashed past them on their skateboards. Jackie and Chloe rolled on back to one another after the sentinels were all done with, giving each other a high five.

"You know, back-up isn't a bad idea." Janna said as she got out her phone and dialed a number. A voice spoke from the other end of the line a few seconds later.

"Hello?" Moon said from the other side of the phone.

"Hey. We could use some ba-" Janna started before a shadow sentinel swiped the phone from her hands. Janna watched as her cell phone hit the ground and was stepped on by a shadow sentinel, breaking it. "Dude! What the heck!" Janna said before jumping the shadow sentinel, tackling him to the ground.

"Janna? Janna!" Moon called. She took the phone away from her ear, looking at the screen, seeing that the call had ended.

"What's going on?" Mina asked.

"Is everything alright?" Eclipsa added.

"I don't know. The phone just...just hung up. I don't know what happened." Moon said. River stood up from the living room sofa.

"Is our daughter alright?" River asked.

"What about our son?" Angie asked, walking into the room with Rafael and Mariposa.

"Yes. Is he safe?" Rafael asked.

"I don't know!" Moon told them. She started to worry. The fact that the phone just hung up on the call means that something's going on that isn't in any way good. Moon made a decision right then and there.

"I'm going after her." Moon declared as she made her way to the door.

"Moonpie? Are you sure that's a smart idea?" River asked.

"Well, what would you suggest, River? Sit back and allow our daughter to be put in danger?! No!" Moon asked him in frustration. She took a breath. "I know Star told us to hold tight until we were told we were needed but...I don't need to be told this time. I can sense that something's wrong and that she needs our help." Moon continued. Everyone watched Moon, listening intently. "They _all_ need our help." Mina walked over to Moon, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I am willing to help in any way I can. Besides, I kind of...um...need to make up for a few things." Mina said anxiously.

"As am I." Eclipsa said reassuringly. River came to her side.

"You're right. We need to be there for our daughter." River said.

"Us too." Angie said as she and Rafael stood up.

"No, no. Not you two. You both need to stay here. You have a baby you need to take care of." Moon told them. Angie and Rafael looked at their daughter, watching her coo and blow raspberries. Angie, then, looked back at Moon.

"Be careful." Angie said.

"Thank you." Moon said. "Now…" She took a deep breath in and out before transforming into her butterfly form in a flash of light. "Off we go."

* * *

"Well, this wasn't what I had pictured for a sisterly reunion but in all honesty, this more than suffices with me." Astroida said, walking closer to Skywynne with an evil grin.

"So you're Astroida. I would never have guessed because, in all seriousness, you two look nothing alike." Star spoke. Astroida turned her head, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, sorry. Star. Hi." She said awkwardly.

"Oh, I already know who you are." Astroida spoke.

"Wait, you do?" Star asked.

"Oh yes. My men informed me in advance. You're Star Butterfly. Oh, wait! You aren't even a Butterfly. You should've never been in the royal line in the first place. It's a shame really; wasting Butterfly Castle on a whole slew of hopeless fakes." Astroida said to her. Star's eyes widened, trying not to feel hurt by everything she said. Her face went from sadness to anger.

"Leave her alone!" Marco commanded. Astroida turned her head.

"And then there's Marco Diaz; the boy who thinks he's worthy enough to be a knight and defend Mewni when in actuality, just had his cape and sword handed to him on a silver platter out of pity." Astroida spoke.

"Astroida? That's enough." Skywynne spoke.

"Oh, is it? Really? Hah, says the one who _stole_ the crown from me!" Astroida said in

anger, turning to her sister.

"But I didn't-" Skywynne breathed.

"You really don't understand why Skywynne was chosen to be queen instead of you, do you?" Marco asked. Astroida turned her head to Star. "It's because all that magical power you had was getting to your head! The magical high commission thought it was best that-"

"The Magical High Commission? They are liars and keep secrets from all of Mewni and the royal family! They poisoned all of Mewni against me!" Astroida exclaimed in anger.

"Secrets...wait a minute. But one of your men said-" Star said.

"I've heard the Magical High Commission and Royal Council conspire behind everyone's back. I know they've been keeping something hidden from all of us. I tried finding out what it was but the fire that destroyed the castle erased all known records of previous historical events. Something occurred in Mewni's history that no one knows about...but them." Astroida told them. That made Star wonder. They've kept secrets from the royal family before. She never thought there would be even more that's never been spoken of.

"Soooo you don't know what they're keeping secret?" Marco asked.

"No...but it doesn't matter! They all underestimated my magical power and intelligence. Now, they'll get what is coming to them…" Astroida turned to Skywynne. "...including you, oh deeeear sister, for banishing me off of Mewni in the first place." Astroida said, pointing at Skywynne intensely. Star, Marco, and Skywynne's eyes went wide, witnessing Astroida's anger.

"Astroida...you know that what I did was an accident." Skywynne told her.

"Was it? Tell me, Skywynne. Did anyone mourn over my disappearance? Because from what I recall, I was removed from all Mewman records, almost as if I never existed; as if everyone wanted me not to even exist. It's so heartwarming to know that no one cared that I was sent into space. I feel _so_ loved." Astroida spoke sarcastically. Skywynne tried to say something, but couldn't. Astroida was right in one sense. She should have never been removed from the records. She was a member of the royal family. The Magical High Commission and Royal Council acted as if she was a danger to the kingdom when, in all actuality, she didn't even attempt to hurt the kingdom at all. She was just more advanced in magic than most. There was just a fear in the minds of many that the power Skywynne had would overpower her mind and humility. Star looked over at Skywynne, noticing her face of defeat. She turned to Astroida to try to help change her mind.

"Listen, Astroida. We can fix everything that's happened to you and show that you are good. You just have to prove to everyone that-" Star started.

"I don't have to prove anything to anyone! What I want is to make sure everyone knows how it felt to be me; to put everyone in my shoes. I want them all to feel misery and fear; to feel the pain I felt and the hurt I went through!" Astroida exclaimed. She took a deep breath, calming herself down slightly. "...and today's the day when they'll feel it all in every...single...sense." Astroida walked over to the crystal in the middle of the room. "You said this looked familiar to you. Would you like to know where I got it?"

"If you don't mind." Star said with an irritated expression. Astroida stroked the crystal with a finger as she slowly walked to another side of the room, looking out of one of the windows.

"When I was just a young girl, I would sneak into the libraries within the castle and study all there is to know about magic; it's theories, power, and history. One afternoon, I came across a passage with great detail about the Realm of Magic. It fascinated me; a dimension containing all the magical power in the entire universe." Astroida spoke. She turned back to Star, Marco, and Skywynne.

"I decided to look into this further. I wanted to know more. I would eavesdrop into mother's conversations with Glossaryk and study all there is to know about this mysterious magic realm. Within that passage I read, I read about these crystals that were located within the realm. It was said that these crystals could contain an extravagant amount of magical power, almost as what your people in this day and age call...a battery or power cell." Astroida explained, she walked back over to the crystal and touched it with her wand, causing the crystal to glow brighter and make a slight flicker, reacting to the magic within the royal magic wand.

"So...the crystal's from the Realm of Magic? But...how did you find it?" Marco wondered.

"Yeah because... that's impossible. The Realm of Magic was destroyed." Star spoke.

"Oh...is it? Explain this then." Astroida told Star, reaching into her pocket and taking out a photograph. On it revealed a cluster of crystals next to the wall of a building. However, these crystals contained no magic within them. They were dead.

"Wait. But-" Star started.

"We found them near an establishment that sold...what was it. Tacos? Must be an Earth cuisine." Astroida told her. Star and Marco gasped.

"Britta's Tacos…" Marco whispered to himself.

"My men informed me that this crystal appeared about a month ago." Astroida pointed to the crystal. "The crystal then began to spread like mold as the contaminated area grew. The crystals then started to form a sort of path, almost as if they were trying to follow something." Astroida spoke. Star then realized something.

"...the magic Janna took from the realm...they were trying to reach it?" Star spoke.

"Like a predator sniffing out its prey." Astroida replied. Something really made Star wonder about something. If crystals were able to appear outside of Britta's Tacos…

...then is the Earth well still open?

Star wanted to figure out that mystery, but she decided to worry about it another day. She had more important things to take care of at the moment, such as an angry Butterfly descendant bent on revenge.

"Wait, I'm confused. There's no way you found the crystal like this. Last time we were in the realm, they were all dead." Marco told her.

"I applied what I had learned about the Realm of Magic and these crystals and took it to my advantage. I used that last bit of magic remaining, thanks to you, and poured it on top of the crystal. The crystal absorbed it like a sponge, taking in the magical power."

"So you 'powered up' the crystal then?" Marco asked.

"I, more along the lines of 'restored' it." Astroida spoke.

"Okay, yeah. So you powered up a crystal. Big whoop. Where are you going with this?" Star asked.

"You are really impatient." Astroida said harshly. Star glared at her. "I also discovered through my extensive research that these crystals, if powered up, can increase the power of any object by tenfold." Astroida told them.

"Hold on. You can't increase the power of the wand. That's too much power for any living being to handle." Skywynne told her.

"Who said I was increasing the power of my wand? Besides, I need this wand for another purpose. I had something else in mind." Astroida snapped her fingers as one of her men, who looked battered and bruised from the recent battle, brought over a wooden box.

"My men found these within the deepest parts of the forest." Astroida told them as she opened the clasps of the box. She lifted the lid, revealing a pair of dimensional scissors. The handles of the scissors were an indigo blue. The blades were made of strong bismuth with slight rainbow iridescence. In between the metal and handle sat a glistening periwinkle blue gemstone of some kind.

"Wait, who's dimensional scissors are they?" Marco asked.

"I...I don't know. I've never seen them before. Skywynne?" Star spoke, turning to Skywynne.

"I'm sorry but...what are dimensional scissors?" Skywynne asked.

"Riiiiight. Heckapoo didn't create those until Solaria was ruler." Star spoke. "Wow. Never thought I would need to remember that one day." Star then realized. "Hold on. If they're not yours then...who's are they?"

"Not sure. But honestly, does it even matter?"

"Uh...yeah!?" Star spoke.

"And for your information, Skywynne, dimensional scissors are the key to unlocking the universe." Astroida told her as she looked at the scissors. "They create portals to other dimensions. Some of my men breached into your 'monster temple' and read about these beauties through the temple's libraries. They found out about a realm called The Void. Familiar?" Marco turned to Star.

"Wait...didn't you send us in there by accident the one time you were going all Butterfly Star in your sleep?" Marco asked.

"You mean the time we almost got stuck and Eclipsa saved us? Yeah. That's the one. I still don't know why my Butterfly form de-transformed like that." Star said.

"The reason is because The Void is magic repellent. Once you are in it, any form of magic you may possess will start to weaken and dissipate, also meaning that once you're in the void, you're stuck there. No one in recorded history has yet been able to create a portal out of The Void or use any form of magic within it. The only way you can ever free yourself from its clutches is if someone creates a portal from another dimension going to The Void for yourself to travel through." Astroida told them.

"Ohhhhhh. That explains it." Marco said.

"Yeah. I don't think I was supposed to go there in the first place." Star added. "So I'm guessing you're going to use the scissors to create a portal to The Void then." Star asked.

"Not just any portal. With this crystal..." Astroida looked over at the crystal. "...I will be able to make a portal that is a thousand times more enormous; one that will encircle the entire globe."

Star, Marco, and Skywynne gasped.

Has she lost it?

"Oh, but I just have one problem. How will I ever get anyone into The Void if it's up in the sky? Oh, wait! I have a spell that deletes gravity!" Astroida said with confidence as she took a piece of paper out of her pocket. On the top of the paper read 'Gravity Deletion Spell'.

"Ohhh that's not good!" Marco spoke.

* * *

Jackie rolled her skateboard over to Janna, who was fighting off a shadow sentinel's sword with her flashlight.

"Hey. Question. Is anyone else coming or should I call a few friends?" Jackie asked.

"No need!" River exclaimed proudly from on top of one of the FBI vans. "HAH!" He exclaimed proudly, jumping high in the air, spinning like a cannonball, knocking down a few shadow sentinels like bowling pins. Mina came from behind the van as well in her Solarian warrior form. She picked up a few Solarian warriors and threw them far away. Jackie stared at her in awe while Janna looked absolutely befuddled.

"Wait but...I thought Astroida reversed your metamorphosis." Janna told her.

"Queen Moon was nice enough to grant this form back to me. I must say though. This makes me look a tad...mean. I don't necessarily like that." Mina said. Moon and Eclipsa came to Janna and Jackie's side.

"Where's Star?" Moon asked with a feeling of eagerness.

"She's still in the castle with Marco and Skywynne." Janna said, pointing to the castle behind her.

"Thank you." Moon said before she flew up to the top of the castle. Eclipsa stood there, a little lost.

"Alright...um...so how will I-..." Eclipsa asked herself.

"You have a butterfly form too, don't you?" Janna asked.

"Oh...yes. That's right." Eclipsa closed her eyes and concentrated, changing into her butterfly form in front of Janna. "Thanks for the reminder. Hah, long day I suppose." Eclipsa chuckled before she flew in the air, following Moon right behind.

* * *

"Good thing my men found this spell in your bag, Skywynne, or else my plan would've never worked in the first place." Astroida spoke.

"Astroida! Please don't do this!" Skywynne begged. "I'm really sorry this happened to you! Can we please just talk about this and figure it out? Please!"

"I'm done giving everyone chances. You along with everyone else will understand what it felt like to be me. The only difference is that you will all have no way of making it out alive like I so luckily did. You'll be stuck in that dimension for all eternity, suffering!" Astroida exclaimed. She walked over to the crystal with the scissors in her hands. "Say goodbye to your beloved home."

"No!" Star spoke. Suddenly, an explosion came from a nearby wall, creating a gaping hole, revealing Moon and Eclipsa floating in midair in their butterfly forms.

"Let my daughter go!" Moon exclaimed with anger in her eyes. Star, Marco, and Skywynne were extremely relieved to see them.

"Mom!" Star called with relief. Astroida growled with rage. Astroida panicked, focusing on stabbing the scissors right into the crystal. Before she could, Moon shot a beam of magic at her, pushing her away from the crystal. Astroida peered her eyes at Moon with animosity.

"No one is getting in my way. Not anymore!" Astroida yelled before taking the wand in her hand and shooting a deep blue magic beam at them. Eclipsa flew in front of Moon immediately, protecting her.

"Black Widow Calamity Cobweb!" Eclipsa shouted as she spread her arms apart. A magical purple web appeared in front of her, absorbing all of the energy from Astroida's magic blast. Moon flew over to Star, Skywynne, and Marco, freeing them from their chains.

"Are you alright, Star?" Moon asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. We really need to get those scissors though." Star replied, pointing at the scissors in Astroida's hands. Moon made a fist in her hands.

"I'll cause a distraction. Go Star!" Moon said before flying up behind Astroida.

"Marco! With me!" Star told Marco, gesturing her hand for Marco to follow her. Marco nodded before they both ran to one side of the throne room. Moon powered up her hands with magical energy.

"Scorching Solar Burst!" Moon exclaimed as a beam of bright light came from her hands, hitting Astroida in the back.

"Ah!" Astroida yelled.

"Is that a new spell, Moon?" Eclipse asked.

"Why yes! I thought I'd try some new ones." Moon told her. Astroida thrust her wand towards Moon, shooting another beam of magic. Moon gasped, dodging it as she darted to her left. While Astroida was focused on Moon, Eclipsa decided to take this to her advantage. She charged up.

"Midnight shreik!" Eclipse proclaimed. A dark butterfly appeared in front of her, shooting its way towards Astroida. Astroida thrust her wand forward.

"Solar Safeguard!" Astroida shouted. A flame came from her wand, circling around Astroida like a shield or cover, protecting her from Eclipsa's spell.

"But how-" Eclipse wondered.

"She knows how to protect herself from all past and present spells. You need to come up with new ones!" Skywynne told Eclipsa.

"Well, I did have a few I wanted to test out." Eclipsa spoke. She took in a deep breath, putting her hands a few inches apart, creating a ball of dark purple energy between them. "Weeping Willow Wake-Up Call." Eclipse spoke as she threw the energy ball at her head. Astroida quickly moved out of the way, dodging it just in time.

"What was that supposed to do?" Skywynne asked.

"It was supposed to put her in a temporary state of hopelessness." Eclipse explained.

"What?!" Skywynne spoke, worried for her sister.

"Oh! No need to worry, love. It would've just been temporary!." Eclipsa stated before dodging another beam from Astroida. Moon tried to hit Astroida with another bean before she took her hand and made a green shield with it, protecting herself against the blast. Skywynne tried to talk to her as she was defending herself.

"Astroida! Please stop this!" Skywynne said.

"Do you honestly believe I will listen to anything you have to say to me? Besides, the fact that you won't fight against me like the others makes you weak." Astroida told her.

"I'm not going to fight you! You're my sister! I want to talk! This can all be prevented if we can just talk!" Skywynne told her. Star and Marco waited for the right opportunity to grab the scissors from Astroida. Star suddenly noticed that Astroida had her full attention on Eclipsa, Moon, and Skywynne. She was too busy defending herself.

"Now's our chance." Star said as she and Marco tiptoed, creeping up behind Astroida. Star started reaching her hand out, about to grab the scissors. She was centimeters away from taking the scissors in her hands. Astroida suddenly turned her head, seeing Star right beside her, about to steal the scissors away.

"Enough!" Astroida shouted. "Heavy-Duty Hypergrip!" She shouted, shooting her wand high in the air. A few royal blue magical clear hands came from the wand, taking everyone in the room and holding them tight, making them unable to move. She brought Star closer to her, staring at her with anger and rage. "I will _not_ have another thorn in my back!" She told Star as Star struggled to get free. Astroida took the scissors in her hands and cut open a portal; a portal leading straight to the void.

"It's about time I got rid of you! Besides, it wouldn't hurt at all to give these scissors a bit of...oh what's it called...a test run?" Astroida smirked. Star suddenly de-transformed out of her butterfly form, feeling weak from the intense pain of Astroida's grip spell.

"No! Star! No!" Moon called.

"Release her!" Eclipsa shouted. She tried to get free, but couldn't. Everyone tried getting out of Astroida's magical grasp. Astroida's hold was way too strong.

"Astroida! Stop!" Skywynne yelled.

"Let me go!" Star cried as she grunted, trying to escape. She was starting to lose her strength.

"Oh, I'll let you go; let you go right into the void and never, _ever,_ come back!" Astroida told her as she slowly brought Star closer and closer to the portal. "It's about time the royal line of Mewman queens was rid of its failure rulers, starting with you"

"Ah!" Star yelled, shifting around, trying to break free.

"Star!" Marco cried, looking at Star with intense focus. Star turned, seeing Marco staring straight at her. Marco's eyes locked with hers. He could see the fear coursing through her. Marco felt his heartbeat get stronger and the sound of it getting louder and louder, overpowering all the sounds around him. He tried thinking as hard as he could of what to do to save her.

...a tear ran down his cheek as he came up with the only thing he could think of. He knew what he had to do. It would only work if he could get free. He wished that there was a way to escape Astroida's grasp…

...but there wasn't.

"...I'm sorry, Star." Marco told her.

Star gasped.

His emotions suddenly took hold.

Marco's cheekmarks suddenly appeared...and were visible to Star.

"What?" Star breathed as she looked at his face.

The magical grip around Marco vanished. Marco didn't even think of how it happened. Once he realized he was freed, he ran as fast as he could towards Star. Astroida turned her head, watching Marco.

"Wha-...but how?!" Astroida exclaimed, baffled.

It was as if everything was in slow-motion as Marco felt his heart continue to beat out of his chest.

His breath was heavy.

His mind was set.

Marco pushed Star out of the way, causing Star to drop to the ground. Suddenly…

...the magical grip got a good hold of Marco…

...the grip pushed him straight into the portal...

...the portal then…

…

...disappeared.

"MARCO!" Star cried, reaching a hand out as she lied on the floor after her sudden fall, watching one of the most important people in her life vanish and become trapped in The Void.

"Well, it was supposed to be you but...eh, he works as a replacement." Astroida spoke. Star was in a state of intense shock. "Now, where were we? Oh, that's right. This!" Astroida exclaimed as she forced the scissors into the crystal, like a dagger. The scissors shot out a powerful purple beam, going through the ceiling window and out into the sky. The beam started to create a portal; one that grew larger every second that passed. The portal covered the skies, covering the stars, clouds, and moons like a blanket. The citizens of Mewni gasped, seeing the sudden portal appear above them. Tom, Janna, and everyone else outside witnessed it as well.

"What….is that!?" Tom asked.

"...trouble." Janna told him.

Everyone inside the castle started to panic.

"Welcome to the hour of the teardrop, ladies and gentlemen." Astroida spoke with an evil smirk.


	36. An Eye for an Eye

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 36: An Eye for an Eye**

Star was speechless. She couldn't process what just happened. All she could do was stare at where the portal once floated and hope that it would appear again; hope that Marco would come back from The Void...and back to her where he belonged. However, she felt that she had to face the cold, hard, heart-wrenching facts. He wasn't coming back.

"Oh, Star…" Eclipsa spoke, watching Star crouch on the ground in horror. Everyone felt such pain within them. Everyone couldn't believe what Astroida had just done. As Star laid on the ground, she began to ask herself questions to help herself grasp this new reality.

She remembered the marks on Marco's cheeks.

"But...on his face...how could there be-…" Star breathed, trying to think of a possible explanation for it. Her mind was filled with questions; questions of hows and whys. However, the more Star thought about them, the angrier she got. The angrier Star became...the more she lost self-control. She stood back up on her feet with her hands in fists and eyes closed. Her eyes opened, glowing brightly. Her hearts followed.

"You're done for." Star growled to Astroida, who wasn't even paying attention to her. Star started walking towards her, firing up her hands with magic, feeling the boiling blood through her Mewman veins. Skywynne caught sight of what was happening. She knew what Star was about to do.

She couldn't let it happen.

"Star! Wait!" Skywynne called. Moon turned her head.

"What's wrong?" Moon asked.

"Listen. I know Astroida has done something terrible but she is still my sister! I want to help her and I think Star's about to do something she can never take back!" Skywynne exclaimed, struggling to get free. Moon looked over to Star, who has never looked so angry in her eyes before.

"Her anger is taking over. She can't control herself!" Moon spoke, trying to get herself out of Astroida's grip. "Star!" Star wasn't paying attention. She had one intention; to finish Astroida and rid this world of her for good. "Eclipsa! We have to stop her!" Moon exclaimed. Eclipsa noticed Star's fury. She gasped, looking around, thinking of something to do.

"We need to get free in order to do that!" Eclipsa told Moon. Moon thought of an immediate plan. She noticed that her hands were still slightly able to move around. She powered one of them up with magic and aimed it for Astroida's wand.

"Stinging Shocker Beam." Moon spoke. A beam of scathing energy came from Moon's palms and hit Astroida right on her hand that held the wand. Astroida let out a yelp, holding her hand as it stung.

"Ow!" Astroida winced. The wand fell out of her hand and onto the floor. Suddenly, the magical hands holding onto Star's friends vanished. Realizing they were freed, Moon, Skywynne and Eclipsa ran right to Star, trying their best to stop her.

"Star!" Skywynne shouted.

Star began to conjure a spell.

"I call a spell which has no name..." Star started to speak. Her voice was shaking as she spoke the words. Star sounded absolutely broken. A tear ran down her cheek as she crept up closer to Astroida.

"No...not that spell! Star! No!" Eclipsa yelled.

"Eclipsa's gift with which she-" Star stopped speaking as she was pulled back by Moon and Eclipsa. "Ah!" Star kept using all of her strength to keep moving forward. "Let me go!" Star shouted.

"Star! Calm down!" Moon yelled.

"No! I won't!" Star exclaimed. "Let...me…at her!" Star cried in rage. As Moon and Eclipsa held her down, Star was gaining enough strength to slowly lift her hand, powering it up again. She was ready to take her aim. Suddenly, Skywynne stepped in front of her.

"STAR! STOP!" Skywynne shouted. Her body became surrounded by a bright flash. Suddenly, a beautiful set of lavender wings appeared behind her, decorated in gold detail. Star's eyes widened, seeing Skywynee standing her ground.

For the very first time, Skywynne has transformed into her butterfly form.

Star froze. Her eyes returned to normal as well as her hearts. The magic in her hand powered down. "You...are NOT going to end my sister!" Skywynne cried. "That's...that's just not fair! When did I ever say that was okay?!" A tear went down Skywynne's cheek. Star gasped. After everything Astroida has done, both past and present, Skywynne had so much love for her that she had the strength and motivation to change into her butterfly form...to protect her.

This was an ultimate act of true love for someone, like what Marco did for Star, sacrificing himself to be trapped in The Void to save someone he truly loves. Star looked at her hands, wondering what in the world she was doing. She couldn't believe that she was about to do what her anger and heartbreak were convincing her of. Once they noticed Star was calm, Moon and Eclipsa let her go. Tears came down Star's face. She dropped to her knees.

"I'm sorry...it's just...it hurts really bad." Star said to them, shaking in a quiver. Moon hated seeing her daughter hurt like this. She knew how it felt to go through a loss Although she knew Marco wasn't gone, Moon could see in Star's eyes that she felt as if she could never see him again. She looked behind her, seeing that Astroida reached down, picking up her wand again.

"Eclipsa? Buy us some time." Moon said. Eclipsa nodded.

"With me, Skywynne." Eclipsa spoke before she and Skywynne flew past, protecting Moon and Star against Astroida. Moon knelt in front of her daughter.

"Sweetie?" Moon said softly, gently sweeping a piece of hair from her face. Star paused for a minute.

"...when grandma died...how did you get through it?" Star asked. Moon gasped. This sent sad reminders of the pain she felt when her mother was killed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, holding it together before looking back at her.

"Star? Marco's still alive. You do realize that. Don't you?" Moon said.

"I know but...in my mind...he's gone." Star told her. She started getting angry. "I mean, why did he even do that?!" She loudly asked.

"You know why." Moon told her. "Your father would do the same thing for me in a heartbeat."

"But...but still! That was so stupid!" She cried. Star was so upset she was starting to feel sick, holding her stomach. Star calmed herself down once more. "I just...really love him, mom...and…" Star took a shaky breath. "...I don't know what to do." Star said. "Mom...what do I do?" Star couldn't keep her emotions straight. She felt lost. Moon sighed, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"When I lost my mother, I kept one question in my mind." Moon said. Star looked at Moon. "I asked myself...what would she want me to do right now. Would she want me to give up and feel that everything I've worked hard to achieve is worthless?...or would she want me to keep going, no matter how hard the stakes might be?" Star bit her lip, trying not to cry even more. "Besides, you should know better than anyone that there's always a chance, Star. When I thought that all hope is lost, you changed my mind not just with words, but with actions of bravery and ambition. You always continue to be confident. You shouldn't lose hope that all that's occurred is permanent." Moon told her. Star looked down before Moon took her hand and placed it under Star's chin, lifting her face up.

"Now, what you must do is ask yourself...what would Marco want you to do right now?" Moon asked. Star's eyes lit up hearing Marco's name.

Her mother was right. What would Marco want her to do? Would he want her to give up...or would he want her to keep on going? The question floated in her mind until she thought of an answer.

" _You define who you are. That's what I love about you."_

She could hear Marco's voice in her mind.

_"If destiny is on our side, we WILL stay together. I'm not losing hope on that."_

Marco has always known that Star remembers that nothing is permanent.

" _I've never stopped trusting you, Star."_

Marco has always known that whatever evil lingers, Star is 100% capable of fixing it.

_"You are my starshine…"_

Marco's always known…

_"...and you'll always be mine."_ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_...that Star never... _ever_...loses hope.

Star looked over at Astroida, then at the scissors lodged within the crystal. Determination started to flourish within her. She stood up, tall and confident.

"We've gotta get those scissors out of the crystal." Star said.

* * *

Marco's eyes opened slowly as he was suspended in mid-air. He must have been knocked out as he was pushed into the portal. There was no gravity in this dimension. All around him were stars and floating debris from previous travelers. He was floating within a quiet, empty space. He rubbed his eyes.

"Huh…" Marco groaned. He tried sitting up just a bit to see his surroundings. He then realized…

...he was in The Void.

"No...no no no! Where's the portal?!" Marco spoke frantically as his voice slightly echoed through The Void. He twisted his body around, looking everywhere for the portal Astroida created. Sadly, there was no portal in sight. He was stuck there.

"Good going, Diaz." He said to himself. Marco sighed. "Well, at least Star is-" Marco stopped himself. His eyes started to fill. Hearing Star's name made his heart hurt as he realized then and there that he could never see her again. He tried not to cry for as long as he could before he placed his palms on his face, hiding his emotions and tears, even though there was no one around to see them. Suddenly, a voice spoke.

"Crying won't solve anything, you know." Glossaryk spoke from next to him.

"Not now, Glossaryk. I'm wallowing." Marco told him depressingly. He then jumped. "AH! Glossaryk!?"

"Yes! It is I! I thought you already knew that." Glossaryk said to him.

"What are you doing here?!" Marco asked loudly.

"What? I can't be in a pocket but you can? Pfft. Hypocrite." Glossaryk told him, crossing his arms.

"Dude. I am in no mood for sarcasm right now." Marco said, feeling as if he lost all means of hope. Suddenly, he caught sight of Glossaryk's arm beginning to vanish. "Uhhhhh...where'd your arm go?" Glossaryk looked at his side, seeing that his arm was gone.

"Ah...how about that." Glossaryk said, moving his shoulder, seeing that his arm is no longer there.

"Wait. You're made of magic! You're going to die in here!" Marco exclaimed.

"...I failed to consider this." Glossaryk told him.

"YOU THINK?!" Marco yelled. He hugged his legs and planted his face into them. Glossaryk observed his sorrowful behavior.

"You seem to be...in a rut." Glossaryk said.

"Oh, hah! You think? I just trapped myself in a dimension that there is no escape from and Star is on Earthni battling an evil sister of a previous Mewman queen who's going to delete gravity and hurt everyone I know and love! I can't ever see Star again, no matter how much I want to! Now you're vanishing out of existence! I might be a little upset!" Marco yelled, turning his head to look away from him. Glossaryk blankly stared at him. "Ugh. Nevermind. You wouldn't understand."

"...who said there's no escape?" Glossaryk asked.

"Uh...Astroida?" Marco said.

"Mmm...no...no. I don't believe she said that." Glossaryk told him.

"Yeeeeaah she did." Marco replied annoyance.

"No no. She said no one in recorded history has been able to _yet_. She didn't say that it was impossible." Glossaryk told him.

"So...there's a way out of here?" Marco asked.

* * *

"Okay. This is getting ridiculous! They just keep coming!" Tom exclaimed as he kicked a shadow sentinel out of his way.

"There has to be a way to slow them down even more! It's like the flashlights aren't enough!" Jackie added. Chloe thought to herself for a minute before snapping her fingers, coming up with an idea. She ran over to an FBI van, opening the driver's side door and hopping in. Ms. Lily turned her head, seeing her getting in the car.

"Wait a minute! That's a government vehicle!" Ms. Lily exclaimed. Chloe looked at the wheel, seeing that the keys were still in the ignition of the car. Someone must have forgotten to take the keys with them. She turned the keys, making the headlights of the car flash brightly as she brought up the fog lights to make them even brighter. A dozen or so shadow sentinels screeched, vanishing as their suits of armor dropped to the ground.

"C'est ma fille!" Jackie exclaimed with happiness. Ms. Lily smiled at the idea Chloe had. She ran over to the general.

"Gather a few soldiers and tell them to turn the vans on." Ms. Lily told him. Suddenly, a loud motor sounded from nearby. Wind roared from above.

"What the…" Janna spoke. There was a helicopter overhead. Ponyhead was in the driver's seat, much to everyone's surprise.

"Let's get a spotlight on this party!" Ponyhead exclaimed from the intercom built into the helicopter. She took her nose and pressed a button with it, activating an extremely bright spotlight that shined down on a large group of shadow sentinels. They all shrieked as they disappeared.

"Right! Ponyhead stole a helicopter!" Tom shouted, trying to be louder than the helicopter.

"Hey! I heard that! Gossiping is so rude!" Ponyhead yelled through the intercom before letting go of the button that allows you to speak through it. "...although...okay. I do that sometimes but that's like, way different." Ponyhead said to herself. Down below, Mina was facing off against three other shadow sentinels. Since she was in her Solarian warrior form, minus the brainwashing part of it, she felt confident that she would be able to handle the three of them with no trouble.

"Well, this shouldn't be too hard, now, should it!" Mina said proudly.

Suddenly, her Solarian form disappeared. She started to shrink back down to her normal mewman form.

"What? But...how did-" Mina asked herself, seeing that she was no longer a towering warrior beast. She looked around, seeing that the three shadow sentinels were about to plummet her. Mina cowered, preparing herself for the painful blow.

But nothing happened.

She opened her eyes, seeing Buff Frog and a few other monsters defending her against the shadow sentinels. Buff Frog took a flashlight in his hands and turned it on, shining it right in the shadow sentinel's face, making it shriek and disappear. Mina didn't understand.

"You're...you're helping me?" Mina asked. "But...I tried to wipe your kind out of existence! Why would you-" Mina asked.

"Queen Moon explained situation to us." Buff Frog said before kneeling down, helping her stand up. "Everyone deserves forgiveness." He told her with a smile. Mina smiled right back.

"...thank you." Mina said, feeling so thankful for getting another chance to make things right. They suddenly heard breathing from a shadow sentinel behind them. Mina and Buff Frog turned their heads, seeing it about to pound them.

"Watch out!" Buff Frog exclaimed, grabbing Mina and moving out of the way of the strike. A flash of light beamed from behind it before the sentinel vanished. Buff Frog and Mina turned, seeing Manfred standing with a flashlight in his hand.

"Well, that was too close for comfort." Manfred said.

"Manfred!" Mina exclaimed. Manfred's eyes went wide.

"Oh, uh...Mina! Um...Moon told me everything but I still have a feeling that you're upset with me so whatever you do please don't-" Manfred started before feeling Mina wrap her arms around Manfred for a hug. "...hurt...me?"

"You did the right thing." Mina said.

"Oh...uh…good!...I think?" Manfred replied, somewhat weirded out by the fact that Mina was hugging him. When has Mina ever hugged anyone before? Ms. Lily came over to Buff Frog as Mina and Manfred reconciled.

"Well, hello again." Ms. Lily spoke as she reached out to shake his hand. Buff Frog gladly reciprocated. "Thank you for coming to help us."

"Pleasure is ours." Buff Frog replied.

"Ours? But...you're the only monster here." Ms. Lily told him.

"Not exactly." Buff Frog said. He turned his head towards the vans before Ms. Lily did the same. A crowd of monsters revealed themselves, ready to face off against the shadow sentinels and help their friends. Ludo and Dennis walked forward, acting as the leaders of the crowd. Everyone, including the shadow sentinels, couldn't help but watch the display.

"Flashlights!" Dennis shouted. The monsters all reached behind them, taking out flashlights in their hands.

"Take them down!" Ludo commanded loudly. All of the monsters charged with loud battle cries towards the shadow sentinels. Ludo looked up at Dennis with excitement.

"You see that, Dennis? You see!? I could be a commander-general!" Ludo told him. He suddenly saw a sword swing near him. He ducked immediately. "Ah!"

* * *

Eclipsa pushed her hands forward towards Astroida.

"Cold Shoulder Ice Storm!" Eclipsa exclaimed, shooting a cold icy magical beam towards Astroida, causing her shoulder to be encased in a block of ice.

"Gnah!" Astroida yelped. She took her wand and blasted the icy block to pieces. Astroida thrust her wand at her. "Searing Pyrogale!" She shouted before Astroida was hit with a blast. Her body shifted as the wand shot out windy flames of fire, missing Eclipsa by an inch.

"Whew!" Eclipsa sounded. Astroida turned her head, seeing that Moon shot her with magic from a distance.

"That's enough, Astroida! End this right now!" Moon shouted from above the ground. Eclipse and Skywynne flew next to her.

"Yes, Astroida! Please!" Skywynne said. "We can fix this!"

"Too much time has passed for anything to be fixed." Astroida said as she thrust her wand at Moon, Eclipsa and Skywynne. "Amber Bounding Ambush!" She yelled as her wand shot a liquid orange blast, pinning them down against the wall. The liquid turned into rock-hard amber, encasing the three of them from the shoulders down as the amber immobilized them.

"Well...trapped again, I see." Eclipsa said in annoyance.

"And this won't end; not until I give everyone their well-deserved retribution!" Astroida snapped back as she powered up her hands, getting ready for Moon, Eclipsa, and Skywynne to receive another magical wallop. Suddenly, Astroida was hit by a powerful blast of magic from behind. Astroida turned, seeing an enraged Star.

"She said...that's enough." Star said to her with an irritated expression. Astroida could tell Star meant business now after encasing her family in amber.

"Well, I see my actions have followed through. How does it feel; that pain? Hurts, doesn't it?" Astroida asked her, trying to mess with Star's head. Star growled.

"...you wouldn't know. You don't have an ounce of love in your heart to feel this kind of pain." Star replied to her. Astroida forced her wand forward, about to hit her as Star lifted her hand. Magic shot out of both the wand and Star's hand, colliding as both their powers fought against each other. Meanwhile, Moon, Eclipsa, and Skywynne tried escaping from their crystallized trap.

"We have to help." Moon spoke as she struggled.

"Hold on. I think I might have something." Skywynne said. "I just have to concentrate." She breathed a breath.

"What are you-" Moon started.

"Shhhh shh shh shh!" Skywynne sounded. She closed her eyes, focusing. Her palms started heating up like a stove, beginning to melt the amber. After a few seconds, Skywynne was able to move her hand through the amber, taking it right out.

"Hah!" Skywynne exclaimed proudly.

"Softening Shatter Outbreak!" Eclipsa exclaimed as the crystal began to crack, blasting apart into hundreds of pieces. The three of them dropped to the ground. Eclipsa looked up, seeing Star and Astroida at a stand-off.

"This is our chance!" Eclipsa spoke as they all stood up. They ran over to the scissors as fast as they could. Astroida turned, seeing the three of them making their way to the scissors. Astroida was desperate to stop them...and Star could tell.

"I don't think you want to do that, Astroida!" Star told her. Astroida turned her head back to Star. "One wrong move and my magic hits you! Make your choice!" Star told her. Astroida growled.

"No no no!" Astroida spoke. Moon, Eclipsa, and Skywynne came up to the scissors, observing them as they continued shooting out a portal to The Void in a large beam of energy. Moon took a safe part of the scissors in her hands, trying to pull them out. However, they wouldn't budge.

"These are dug in this crystal pretty well!" Moon told them. Eclipsa and Skywynne took the scissors in their hands as well.

"Together." Skywynne spoke. They both pulled as hard as they could, trying their best to get the scissors free from the crystal. The three of them grunted and groaned, using all of their strength.

All of their cheekmarks began to shine.

Their hands began to glow with magical power as their strength increased.

The scissors started to slowly but surely slide out of the crystal. Astroida turned her head once more, seeing that the three of them were successfully removing the scissors.

"No!" Astroida shouted. She turned back to Star, feeling intense anger. Her magic grew stronger as it started to push harder against Star's magical beam. However, Star was starting to become tired. She began to struggle, grunting as she tried to combat Astroida's power. "Hah...not so strong now, are you?" Astroida asked her sarcastically.

...but Star didn't panic. She closed her eyes, focusing her mind on one thing;...

...on one person...

"Marco…" Star breathed.

Star never stopped repeating his name in her head. It kept her stronger. It kept her confidence higher. It kept her hope alive.

"Marco..." Star whispered. She continued to repeat his name.

The beam from her hands became even more powerful as it went against Astroida power.

"What are you doing?!" Astroida yelled. Astroida started to struggle as Star continued to overpower her. The scissors were almost out of the crystal. Skywynne, Moon, and Eclipsa kept on pulling at them.

"Almost there!" Eclipsa grunted. Astroida noticed that the scissors were almost free. She turned back to Star, giving it her all to combat Star's strength.

"I don't think so." Astroida said to herself, feeling a slight bit of determination once again. The magical beam from her wand grew more powerful once more. However, Star continued to be stronger than her. Astroida's magic power was no match for Star's courage.

"Ugh!" Astroida sounded. Star was starting to run out of strength. She couldn't take any more of it. Her beam grew less powerful. All of a sudden, Astroida heard a metal swish coming from behind her. Eclipsa, Skywynne, and Moon successfully got the scissors out of the crystal.

"Got it!" Skywynne exclaimed with joy. Astroida turned her head one more time, seeing the scissors out of the crystal. However, the scissors were still powered up, shooting a portal beam to the sky. "Okay, what do we do now?!"

"NO!" Astroida shouted. She lowered her wand, the magic beam disappeared before she started running after Moon, Skywynne, and Eclipsa. Star gasped.

"Ah!" Star yelped. As fast as she could, she shifted her hands away from Astroida, making it so the magic beam hit the floor instead of her. "Break them! Break the scissors!" Star exclaimed.

"Let go! I'll handle this!" Eclipsa told Skywynne and Moon. She held the scissors still in her hands. "Softening Shatter Outbreak!" Eclipsa shouted. The scissors started to crack. Suddenly, they broke into a million pieces, falling to the floor.

"No!" Astroida yelled.

Everyone outside the castle looked to the skies, seeing that the void portal above started to shrink, vanishing after half a minute in sparkling light. Janna and Tom smiled as they looked up, seeing the portal has disappeared.

"The portal! It's gone!" Tom spoke.

"It looks like they have everything under control up there." Janna added.

"And we have everything under control here as well." Buff Frog spoke as he came to them. They all looked around, seeing that most of the shadow sentinels have been taken down for the time being. They were starting to regenerate but at a very slow rate. However, the crowd deserved a few minutes of a break while Star and her family got everything settled in the castle.

Astroida watched as her void portal dissipated in front of her very eyes. Eclipsa, Moon, and Skywynne ran over to Star, making sure she was alright. Astroida ran over to the scissors, dropping to her knees and picking up the shards that remained on the floor with her hands.

"You okay, Star?" Skywynne asked.

"Yeah...just a little tired. Wow...that can take a lot out of you." Star said as she was hunched over, holding onto her knees.

Astroida's feeling of defeat changed into rage. She looked over at the group of Butterflies with fire in her eyes.

"You think I'm done?" Astroida asked. Star, Moon, Skywynne, and Eclipsa turned their heads, hearing her speak. "You forgot something very important." Astroida told them.

She held her wand up high, beginning to spin it in a very small circle.

_Elevation, Levitation..._

"Oh no...the gravity spell!" Skwynne exclaimed in a panic.

_Lift me to that endless haven…_

"Astroida! Don't do it!" Moon shouted.

Astroida's teardrop cheekmarks shined.

_Light as a feather and weightless as air…_

"Stop!" Star yelled. Astroida opened her eyes, which now shined brightly.

_Have the skies be my destination…_

Astroida finished the spell by whipping her wand down in front of her. She glanced up in the air, focusing on her spell. Star looked in front of her, suddenly seeing a small stone float up in front of her.

"Ohhhhh no no no no." Star breathed.

The wind stopped.

The Earth began to shake.

The floor began to crack.

"The planet! The spell's stopping its rotation!" Skywynne shouted.

Outside the castle, everyone tried to keep their balance as the ground shook.

"What's going on?" River asked, concerned as he and Mina ran over to Tom and Janna.

"Earthquake?" Tom asked.

"I don't think so." Jackie told Tom, rolling over to him on her skateboard.

"I don't even know what you all are talking about because I don't feel anything." Ponyhead spoke, floating her way over to the group.

"Ponyhead, you're floating. You can't possibly feel any-" Tom stopped.

Before anyone knew it, they began to lift off the ground. Ponyhead felt herself floating higher.

"Okay, I take that back! Get me down!" Ponyhead exclaimed.

"...gravity's been deleted…" Janna breathed. Everyone turned their heads to Janna as she spoke. Janna looked at her friends.

"Someone summoned the gravity deletion spell." Janna told them.

* * *

Back in the castle, Astroida continued to concentrate on her magic spell. Moon shifted her head to Skywynne.

"Skywynne! You've reversed this spell before! You have to fix this!" Moon told her.

"But...but I don't remember how!" Skywynne replied.

"What?!" They all shouted.

"I've only done it once and...and...I didn't write it down and-" Skywynne stuttered out of fear.

"Wait! Star! You said Skywynne's chapter was your favorite. Do you remember it? You read her chapter all the way through, didn't you?" Eclipsa asked. Skywynne turned to Star.

"Aww. Really?" Skywynne quietly uttered, feeling flattered.

"Yeah, but-..." Star started.

"Star? You have to remember it!" Moon told her.

"I know Mom!" The intense pressure isn't really helping!" Star shouted. She let out a breath, calming herself down. "Okay…" She squinted her eyes, trying to remember as she held her head. "Come on, come on, come on, brain. Work." Star whispered to herself. She kept on thinking as hard and as fast as she could.

Suddenly…Star gasped.

"I got it!" Star exclaimed, remembering the spell. She wiggled her fingers and shook them ferociously, getting herself ready. "Alllrighty. Step back, everyone." Star looked up. She lit up her hands with a powerful magic glow.

"Time to fly." She told them.

Star looked up, got herself into position as she spread her butterfly wings and pushed herself upwards. Her wings flapped as she made her way through the ceiling window and outside the castle. Tom turned his head, noticing a flying yellow figure flying up above.

"Hold on...that's Star!" Tom spoke as he pointed. Star floated there, counting to 115.

"61, 62, 63, 64, 65..." She counted quietly.

"What's she doing?!" Mina asked from nearby.

"I don't know!" Janna spoke.

"Well, I would love it if she would hurry it up because if she hasn't noticed by now, WE'RE ALL FLOATING OUR WAY TO SPACE!" Manfred exclaimed in panic. Moon, Eclipsa, and Skywynne watched her from inside the castle.

"I don't understand. What is she waiting for?" Eclipsa asked.

"Wait...I remember this! In order for the spell to work successfully, she was to wait 115 seconds for the wand to charge up enough." Skywynne explained.

"107, 108, 109…" She continued counting. She then spoke the last few numbers. "113, 114, 115!" She pulled her arms back. "Raspberry Ribbon Lasso!" She shouted as she thrust her right hands out from her side with as much strength as she could. A bright pink ribbon-like magical beam came from each hand, shooting outward. Everyone below as a pink ribbon shot across the sky.

"Come on, Star. You got this." Tom spoke from down below.

"You got this girl!" Ponyhead exclaimed as she was floating upside-down.

"Uh...you know you can turn your body around, right? You can fly." Tom told her. Ponyhead blankly stared at him as she very slowly turned her body back around.

"...nothing happened." Ponyhead told him.

"What do you mean nothing ha-" Tom started.

"You saw nothing!" Ponyhead shouted. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Ooooookay then." Tom responded. He turned, seeing Janna start to float higher and higher.

"Janna!" Tom called. Tom reached to her and grabbed her hand before she lifted away. He then grabbed a light post that was still suspended down on the ground. "I got you!"

"Thanks!...although...I mean...I could've managed on my own." Janna told him, looking away. Tom gave her a straight look.

"Janna?" Tom spoke.

"Ugh. Fine. I needed your help." Janna said. "Seriously though...thanks." She said with a smile. He smiled right back at her.

The ribbon traveled around the world at supersonic speed, making its way around the entire earth until it reached Star once again. She took her left hands and grabbed the lasso tight, pulling it near her right side, accidentally making the globe shake a bit more. She looked down, hearing people scream slightly.

"Uh...sorry!" Star exclaimed to the people below. She looked straight ahead, closing her eyes as she was about to finish the spell, holding the lasso with all her strength. She took a breath, holding it in as she felt a wave of fear hit her.

"...please work." She whispered to herself, hoping and praying that this spell works.

She let go of the lasso.

The lasso bounced like a rubber band, quickly making its way back around the planet until it returned to Star. The lasso disappeared once it reached her left hands. Star waited for a sign; anything that told her that the spell worked.

"Please, please, please, please, please. Just give me this." Star spoke as she bit her lip. She then noticed…

A tree nearby…

...wind was blowing against it.

Star gasped.

The world's shaking ceased very slowly for less than a minute before everyone started coming back down to the ground. They all smiled as they felt themselves descend back down to the ground.

"Aha! That's my girl!" River cheered.

"Yeaaaahhh! That's my best friend!" Ponyhead exclaimed.

Star heard cheering from below. She looked down at the crowd, seeing smiles and hearing yells of joy. Star let out a sigh of relief before descending down through the ceiling window and back to Moon, Eclipsa, and Skywynne. Astroida was on the ground, feeling defeated after what just transpired.

"Oh, sweetie you did it!" Moon spoke as she went over to Star and hugged her.

"Hah...look at you all; rejoicing...thinking that this is all over...that you...defeated me." Astroida said as she was crouched on the ground." Moon and Star ended their hug once they heard Astroida speak.

"Uh...yeah. Yeah, it is over. No matter how many times you conjure that spell, I can reverse it. Astroida? Just give up!" Star said as she walked towards her.

"Hah...you simpletons neglected to think that I came with a back-up plan?." Astroida replied with a grin.

"Wait, what?" Star spoke. Astroida lifted her wand up again.

_Servants I have pulled from the gloom_

"What's going on?" Eclipsa asked.

_Mold into this world's unstoppable doom._

Down below, outside the castle, everyone continued to take a rest from battling the shadow sentinels.

That was until Tom noticed that the shadows started to crawl out of the suits of armor, almost like snakes.

"Uhhhh...guys?!" Tom spoke loudly. The group focused their attention on the shadow sentinels, noticing that the components of them were making their way towards the castle.

"They're retreating!" Ms. Lily spoke from nearby.

"No." River spoke. "This isn't a retreat. They would've vanished." He told her. Everyone watched the shadows climb the walls of the castle to the very top.

"They're going back to their creator." River added.

* * *

Astroida stood up, stretching her arms and legs apart.

"What's she doing?" Moon asked. Suddenly, the room grew dark. The windows were covered in shadows. Eclipsa gasped.

"Oh no. Out! Get out!" Eclipsa shouted. Star, Moon, Eclipsa, and Skywynne all flew up and through the ceiling window. As Astroida stood in the throne room, the shadows began to crack the glass, breaking them as they shattered into millions of pieces.

"Shadows thrive…" Astroida spoke.

The shadows came towards her…

"Power rise…" Astroida continued.

The shadows began to cover her like a blanket. As they surrounded her, the combined shadows began to grow larger and larger.

Star, Moon, Eclipsa, and Skywynne all flew over towards the crowd of people below. Star's friends turned their heads, seeing them floating in the air in their butterfly form.

"Everyone needs to get away from here now!" Moon shouted.

"Move men! Now!" Ms. Lily commanded as she and all of the soldiers made their ways away from the castle.

"Let's move!" Buff Frog said as he and all of his monster friends did the same. Jackie, Chloe, Mina, Manfred, Ludo, and Dennis all followed with them. Tom, Janna, and River came over to figure out what's happening.

"What's going on?!" River asked.

"We're not sure. But what we do know is that Astroida is doing something dangerous up there and it's not safe for anyone over here!" Star told him.

"Wait! Where's Marco?" Tom spoke. Star's chest felt tight for a minute as she held her breath. She couldn't speak. The pain was too much. Everyone stood there, waiting for an answer.

"...we need to move." Star said in a serious tone. Tom's eyes went wide.

"...no...but...he couldn't have just-..." Tom spoke. He had an idea of what happened now. He felt as if he lost a brother, although he didn't realize that Marco wasn't dead. He was trapped in another dimension. All of a sudden, a loud, enormous blast came from the castle.

"Watch out!" Skywynne said as they all quickly moved away. Star, Skywynne, Moon, and Eclipsa took their friends in their arms, moving them away from the castle to avoid the oncoming wreckage. Once they were at a safe distance, they turned their heads to look at the scene.

The castle was gone. It had crumbled and come down to the ground.

A large titan-sized creature made of shadows, standing much taller than what the castle had been, was in its place. Astroida was suspended within the middle of the creature. Her eyes glowed a bright white.

"The time has come for your demise." Astroida spoke with an echo, finishing her last-minute villainous poem.


	37. Destiny

**WATCH ALL OF STAR VS. THE FORCES OF EVIL BEFORE READING THIS STORY!**

* * *

**Chapter 37: Destiny**

The peoples of Earthni were terrified as they witnessed the towering creature before them. They all pointed and screamed in fright, running all over creation as panic ensued. Citizens rushed out of their houses to avoid being stomped on and hurt. As Star and the team witnessed the chaos, Star flew over to Eclipsa and Moon.

"It's bigger than the Solarian warriors ever were." Eclipsa spoke as she stared at the titan, feeling a bit of fear in her gut.

"Hey!" Star spoke, bringing Eclipsa's attention to Star. "We need to focus. I need you and mom to get everyone out of here." Star told them as she pointed down to the panicked citizens below.

"Of course. Moon? With me!" Eclipsa replied. Eclipsa and Moon flew to the chaotic crowds, trying their best to help clear the area and prevent any future threats.

"Attention everyone! All of you must head for safety near the outskirts of the city!" Eclipsa called.

"Don't panic! Just keep moving!" Moon added as she and Eclipsa guided people away from the shadow titan. Tom and Janna helped on the ground to move people away.

"This way guys!" Tom said as he gestured for people to keep moving forward.

"Keep going!" Janna added. Astroida watched as the Earthnians fled in fear and alarm,

delighted in what she had caused..

"Hm...and I thought deleting gravity would've been a better way to go. This is much more satisfying." She snickered before moving her leg, causing the shadow titan to move its legs also. Every move she made, the titan would follow. Star and Skywynne watched the shadow titan maneuver around, making it's way over to a city building. Office workers ran out of it before Astroida used the titan to punch a hole into the building, destroying it before it collapsed, turning into rubble like Butterfly Castle did.

"Come ooooon! Does she ever just give up!?" Star groaned in frustration.

"I'm afraid giving up isn't in her vocabulary." Skywynne told her before they both flew over to Astroida and the titan.

"Astroida?! You need to stop this!" Star shouted. Astroida turned the shadow titan's head.

"Well, _you_ need to give up!" Astroida said before swinging the titan's left arm at Star and Skywynne. The two of them flew out of the way, barely missing its hard-hitting blow.

"I don't think there's any way to change her mind at this point, Star." Skywynne said.

"Well, I'm up for suggestions." Star told her as the shadow titan took it's foot and crushed a few cars parked next to the sidewalk. Skywynne began thinking through what has occurred since this battle began. She tried thinking of weaknesses and ways to slow her down. It wasn't long before Skywynne realized something.

"Wait...her wand." Skywynne spoke.

"What?" Star sounded.

"Her wand! Did you notice that when your mother shot the wand out of her hand, she ran over to get it? She wouldn't have done that if she could use magic like us!" Skywynne told her. "It's strange though. She's dipped down in the past while she was still living on Mewni so I don't understand why she can't now." Skywynne added.

"Hmm...did the spell to bring her back mess with her magical abilities?" Star wondered.

" _Or_ did it cause a complete magical reset to the point where the wand is the only way she can use magic!" Skywynne concurred as Astroida used the shadow titan to kick another building over.

"So that means...if we get the wand..." Star spoke.

"Then we win!" Skywynne finished in excitement, relieved that they were able to come up with a plan.

"Oh...we're good." Star said proudly as she and Skywynne gave each other a high five.

* * *

"So you're telling me that there _is_ a way out?" Marco asked Glossaryk, who's left leg was now missing along with his right arm.

"I believe that's what I said, yes." Glossaryk replied. Marco raised an eyebrow.

"...are you saying this to bring my spirits up or are you telling me the truth?" Marco wondered. Glossaryk has always been a mysterious figure who's been hard to trust once in a while.

"Marco? Would I ever lie?" Glossaryk asked before he was given a straight face by Marco.

"...YES!" Marco exclaimed before taking his hood and covering his face. He groaned out of frustration.

"...do you need a minute?" Glossaryk asked him. Marco lifted his hoodie off his face again, taking a deep breath in and out.

"No...no. I'm fine. It's just...come on, man. There's no way out of here. You're just doing what you normally do; mess with people's heads... _or_ you're saying all this out of pity. Wait! No! No. You don't have pity for anyone! You're...you're Glossaryk! You're just...you!" Marco said.

"Woooooowww. And I thought Star was hurtful with her words." Glossaryk told him with his one hand on his hip.

"Dude, you don't have the best track record when it comes to humility." Marco told him.

"Well, now. I never said I was perfect. But still, the fact that you believe that I'm lying to you means that you must be blind to the truth." Glossaryk told him. Marco raised an eyebrow at Glossaryk's crypticness.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Marco asked.

"Oh, nothing really. It's just that...you know, you _were_ able to get out of Astroida's magical grip."

"Okay?" Marco said.

"You were able to enter Star's nightmare at the cemetery and help her overcome it..." Glossaryk started.

"Wait, but you weren't there-" Marco spoke.

"You opened an unbreakable door at the science facility with just one slam of your hands..." Glossaryk continued to list off.

"What does this have to do with anything?" Marco asked, trying to understand what Glossaryk was getting at.

"Well...the fact that you believe those occurrences happened out of pure luck is one thing." Glossaryk told him.

"Well, yeah! What other possible explanation is there?" Marco told him. Glossaryk facepalmed. He couldn't get what he was trying to make Marco realize through to him.

* * *

Star and Skywynne made their way in front of the shadow titan, moving to its right and left at a fast pace. They both readied themselves, conjuring the same spell at the same time.

"Raspberry Ribbon Lasso!" They both shouted. They thrust their hand towards one another, making it so the ribbons coming out of their hands tie together in knots in the middle. The shadow titan kept on moving forward. Star and Skwyynne waited for it to come close enough to where it would trip on the ribbon. However, as the shadow titan continued to walk, the ribbon did nothing but phase through the titan's legs.

"What the heck!" Star exclaimed.

"That won't work!" Tom shouted as he and Janna ran to them. "If it's like the shadow sentinels, the only thing that would slow it down is direct light." He explained.

"The problem is that flashlights won't be enough for this guy!" Janna added.

"Oh, don't worry." Star cracked her knuckles. "I'll make it work." She said before lifting her hands up.

"Super-shiny glare affair!" Star shouted, she pushed her hands forward as a gleaming bright light beam came from her hands, hitting the titan's lower stomach. There was now a gaping hole in the middle of it. Star turned to Tom and Janna. "See? I told you I would make it work." Star said with confidence.

"Uhhh...you sure about that?!" Skywynne asked as she pointed. Star turned to look at the titan again, seeing that the hole was being filled with its shadowy substance, making it as if the hole was never there.

"UUUUUGGHH!" Star groaned in annoyance. "No wonder Astroida added the word 'unstoppable'." Suddenly, the titan leaned forward, grabbing Star and Skywyyne in its hands. "Hey!" Star yelled. Moon turned around, hearing her daughter's loud cry.

"Star!" Moon exclaimed as she and Eclipsa flew as fast as they could over to help. Star tried speaking a spell to get out of its grip. However, she suddenly felt all her energy being drained, so much so that she couldn't even lift her hands.

"Why am I...so...weak?" Star spoke.

"It's called dark energy, Star. Shadows don't just blind the light. They consume life." Astroida told her.

"Let...go..." Star said quietly. The color in her hair began to fade. Her eyes started turning from blue...to grey. Her skin was going cold.

"Astroida! Stop!" Skywynne cried.

"Oh, don't you worry. I won't give you the same fate. I want you to be a witness to my new revolution; the time where I come on top, like it was supposed to be almost 400 years ago!" Astroida told her. Moon and Eclipsa flew in front of the shadow titan, ready to give it what for.

"Drop them!" Moon yelled. The shadow titan took its other free hand and began swiping at Moon and Eclipsa like flies. Moon and Eclipsa dodged it, flying up and out of the way. Janna ran closer to them.

"You have to use light! Nothing else will work!" Janna explained to them loudly. Suddenly, the titan walked closer to Janna. It lifted its foot, about to stomp on her. Tom gasped.

"Janna!" Tom called. He ignited his feet, flying over to Janna as fast as he could. Tom

picked her up, pushing her out of harm's way.

"Hah. Thanks." Janna told him. Moon watched as her daughter was slowly getting the life drained out of her. She growled like a mother tiger wanting to protect her cub.

"Starlight Swelter!" Moon exclaimed. She pulsated her right hands forward; then her left hands. Every time she did so, bright stars came shooting out of them like daggers, burning the shadow titan with their incredibly powerful light.

"I've had enough of the both of you." Astroida said to herself. "I've had enough of everyone on this planet!" Astroida shouted. She snickered very slightly. "It's about time you all got some rest."

"What?" Eclipsa spoke.

"Well...nighty night." Astroida finished with a smirk. She breathed in and out, letting out a breath. The shadow titan did the same, letting out a shadowy gust that headed straight for Moon and Eclipsa. The two of them gasped for air, feeling the shadows enter their lungs. They started feeling feeble, falling to the ground as they transformed out of their butterfly forms. Astroida watched as she successfully took the two butterflies down.

The shadow titan continued to let out it's dark life-sucking breath. Astroida watched as it entered the lungs of everyone she caught her eyes on, except her sister who was being spared.

"Hold your breath!" Janna told Tom. They both took in a deep breath, holding it in. However, the shadow titan didn't stop there. The shadowy wisp entered their noses, causing both of them to drift. They collapsed to the ground.

"N...no...no!" Star started regaining a bit of strength as she saw her friends and family knocked out.

"Quiet you! It's over!" Astroida told her. "Look around! Everyone you know has fallen. Your city is now in a state of terror. Your deepest fears are now a reality." Astroida said to her. Skywynne watched her sister talk Star down, hating the sight of it.

"Don't listen to her, Star! Don't give into her tricks!" Skywynne told her.

Star started to chuckle.

"May I ask what's so funny?" Astroida asked her, confused and angry as all get out.

"...you really think this is my deepest fear?" Star asked her. "Oh...this doesn't even compare." She felt some of her strength returning.

"What?" Astroida spoke.

"And you know what else? Whether this was my deepest fear or not...there's this guy I know; this amazing...loveable...brave dork I know...who would tell me to keep on fighting...and keep on hoping." Star continued.

Astroida started to get mad.

"You might think you trapped him in The Void but...you don't know Marco like I do...and what he's capable of;...what we're capable of." Star told her. "He will do anything to be here with me...and I with him." Star spoke. "This might sound cheesy but...our love...is more powerful than you think."

"Stop it." Astroida said to her.

"...and I have hope that he's going to get out of there...because that's what he would want me to do." Star added.

"Stop!" Astroida yelled.

"You're going to lose...whether you like it...or not!" Star finished.

"ENOUGH!" She yelled, taking the shadow titan's hand and squeezing Star to the point where she felt her insides being crushed.

Star tried holding in the pain, but it was too much to bear.

However, the hope within her continued to rise...

...she felt a bit of strength return to her, giving her the ability to do one more thing before all her energy diminished again...

...she shouted his name.

"MARCO!" Star cried as loud as she could.

* * *

" _...MARCO!"_

"Huh?" Marco spoke as he heard a familiar voice. He looked around, wondering if someone else was in the void with him.

"What?" Glossaryk asked, now missing his arms and legs.

"I thought I...wait, no. No." Marco spoke, trying to shake the voice out of his head.

"Come on, now. Do tell." Glossaryk smirked.

"Okay, I know this sounds crazy but...I thought I heard Star." Marco told him.

_"...MARCOOOO!"_

"There it is again! I _know_ that's Star's voice!" Marco said. "But how can I-" Marco wondered.

"Who knows. Maybe you've lost your mind. Maybe love has more power than you think it does. Maybe I'm crazy-" Glossaryk blabbered on.

"Woah woah wait! Say that again!" Marco exclaimed.

"Say what?" Glossaryk asked.

"You said love has more power than I think it does!" Marco told him.

"Well, if you heard what I said, I shouldn't have to repeat it, should I?" Glossaryk told him. Marco looked down at his hands. He wondered...

"...but why would you say that? You know something I don't!" Marco said, poking Glossaryk with his pointer finger.

"I know a lot more than you." Glossaryk told him as he took his finger with his one hand and moved it away from him. "For example, chocolate pudding has a powerful source of antioxidants." He told Marco, who was yet again giving him an irritated look.

"Okay, do you _want_ to vanish into thin air? If you tell me what you're talking about, we can _both_ get out of here _and_ I can save Star from whatever's hurting her right now! So TALK!" Marco yelled. Glossaryk's eyes widened. He's never seen Marco so serious about anything. He really wanted to return to Star and save her. Glossaryk took a breath.

"...the cleave." Glossaryk told him.

"The cleave?" Marco repeated.

"Yes. Earth and Mewni coming together as one world. You don't believe that happened simply because of magic, do you?" Glossaryk.

"Well..." Marco sounded.

"Even someone who's mastered magic to a full extent cannot hold enough power within them to combine worlds. However, there is another power that surpasses even the most advanced magic users..."

"...love...but wait, no! That's cheesy!" Marco replied.

"Hmm...says the person who believes in destiny." Glossaryk spoke back.

"...what?" Marco breathed.

"...destiny...your fate...what's written in the stars. You already chose what your destiny is. I know what it is too. I heard you tell Star. I was in her mind at the time." Glossaryk told him. Marco remembered what he said to Star the one day they were saving the monsters from the armada.

_"If destiny is on our side, we WILL stay together. I'm not losing hope on that."_

_"...you really believe that...don't you?"_

Marco felt his determination rise.

He felt his valor grow.

Marco slowly held his hands out in front of him. He tried as hard as he could to concentrate.

...but nothing was happening. Marco now felt frustrated.

"...what are you doing-" Glossaryk started.

"Shh!" Marco shushed. "Come on...come on!" Marco yelled.

The shadow titan squeezed Star tightly, making her feel as if her bones were about to break.

"AH!" Star cried loudly in pain.

...

Marco gasped.

...

His eyes lit up like the sun.

...

His cheekmarks appeared, gleaming bright.

...

...Marco closed his eyes, concentrating.

...

He put his arms out in front of him...palms facing outward...

...

He spread his arms apart like a whip...

...

...creating a portal as he dropped his head down.

...

...light began to cover his entire body...

"You...won't...win..." Star said, starting to feel so weak and bruised. She had no more energy to even speak. All of a sudden...

...the moons flashed like lightning...

...turning a blood moon red. The sky turned a shade of crimson.

"What the-..." Star spoke as she watched the sky transform. Astroida looked up at the sudden change in the atmosphere.

"What's happening?!" Astroida exclaimed. Suddenly, a small portal appeared, floating in the sky. Everyone turned their heads, looking at it. Star's eyes widened.

...a silhouette came out of the portal...

...a silhouette of a boy...

...a boy...

...with wings...

...and shining moon cheekmarks...

"M...Marco?" Star breathed in complete awe. The boy revealed himself. It was indeed Marco, flying high with long red wings that bore shining white detail, six arms, a red cloak with a hood on his head, and an enraged look on his face.

"Let Star go." Marco said in a deep voice. Star couldn't believe it. He escaped the portal...and transformed into what looked like a butterfly form.

"Like I will take any orders from you!" Astroida yelled. Marco took his hands and raised them up very slowly. Everyone started to regain consciousness, rising with a loud gasp. Star was still unable to feel any energy return. She was still within the titan's grasp.

"I am DONE with surprises!" Astroida shouted. She blew a shadowy gust, making its way towards Marco.

Marco didn't even say a word. He held his hand up and snapped his fingers, creating a white glistening transparent shield that surrounded him, making the shadows vanish like water droplets on a hot stove.

"...how...how is..." Astroida was starting to become speechless. Marco stayed silent. He took his hand and lifted his pointer and middle finger. He swiped it like a miniature sword. Out of nowhere, a white light sliced the arm of the shadow titan that was holding Star, making it vanish. The light continued to stay attached to the shoulder of the titan, making it so that it was unable to grow back.

A weak and tired Star began to fall.

"Star!" Moon cried. She flew over to her daughter, catching her just in time.

"Star? Star!" Moon exclaimed. Star felt her energy starting to return, thanks to Marco's magic power. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Wh...what?" Star breathed. Her eyes suddenly shot open wide. "Marco!" Star sat up immediately, watching Marco in his new form, battling the shadow titan.

"You saved your little girlfriend! Big whoop dee doo! That's not going to stop me!" Astroida told him. Marco still didn't speak. He took his hand again and put it in a fist, opening it up a few seconds after, creating a ball of brightly lit luminescence. He flicked it over towards the titan like one would flick a crumb or a bug off one's arm. The ball of light stopped in front of Astroida and the shadow titan before it flashed a super-blinding ray; one that could blind someone if they even looked. Everyone covered their eyes immediately.

The flash disappeared after a few seconds, revealing that the shadow titan has now disappeared. Astroida now lied on the ground. Her wand was no longer in her hands. It was far within her reach now as it now rested at least 20 feet away. Astroida was now defeated.

However, it seemed as if Marco wasn't done.

Marco reached out his hand and held it forward, summoning a dark red energy ball; one that would end Astroida and send her out of oblivion.

"No!" Star shouted, She ran over to Astroida, stepping in front of her, protecting her from what Marco was about to do. "Marco! Stop! What are you doing?!" Star exclaimed. Marco's eyebrows raised in surprise. The light in his eyes started to flicker.

"...S...Star?" Marco spoke. His eyes went back to normal.

"Yes! Yes it's me!" Star told him.

"Why are you-...get out of the way!" Marco said in his deep voice. He wasn't acting like himself at all.

"What? No! You can't do this! This isn't like you! You would never take a life!" Star replied. Marco suddenly looked as if he was in distress. His expression kept changing. Marco would look angry...and then in pain.

"I know. I just..." Marco's face softened. "...she...hurt you and..." An angry expression reappeared on his face as his eyes glowed again. "I want to finish her." Marco growled. The ball of destructive energy in his hand started to grow a little more. Eclipsa gasped as she observed. She noticed Marco's anger rising. Eclipsa suddenly understood what was happening.

"This isn't good." Eclipsa spoke.

"Why? What's wrong?" Janna asked.

"It's his love for Star." Eclipsa said. "It's overpowering his magical power. He feels so much emotion that he can't control himself!" Eclipsa told him.

"Marco? You need to calm down." Star told him. Marco's face immediately looked terrified. Star's eyebrows lifted in concern.

"...I can't take it." Marco told her.

"I know you're angry at Astroida but-..." Star started.

"No Star...No." Marco said in a shaky voice. "I feel... _so_ many things right now;...anger...sadness...fear...confidence...confusion..." Marco spoke. He was about to cry. "I can't think rationally right now." He told her. "...is...is this what dipping down feels like? Because it hurts really bad." Marco winced.

Star's heart hurt for him, seeing the one she loves go through so much agony. She flew up to Marco so they could look at eachother, face-to-face.

"Star? H-...how am I doing this? There's no way I can do magic unless-..." Marco stopped himself. He couldn't finish his sentence because he couldn't contemplate the possibility. "...how am I-?" He asked.

"Shhhhh shh shh." She shushed him, trying to help him relax just a bit. "I know how you feel." She told him, recalling not too long ago when she was about to end Astroida herself. "There are times when emotions and magic don't mix well. But we'll figure it out." Star told him. She took his free hand in hers. "We always do." Marco and Star looked directly in one another's eyes. Marco tried to speak, but couldn't. He closed his eyes, trying not to cry. "Come on. Talk to me." Star told him softly. He opened his eyes back up again, which were now filled with tears.

"...I'm really scared." Marco said. A tear droplet ran down his cheek. Star couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that Marco, the person who was by himself in the neverzone for 16 years, the person who punched Toffee through the chest with no fear at all...the one person who's been so incredibly brave and optimistic about almost everything ever since Earth and Mewni combined and has told Star to do the same...was scared.

Star felt that this must have been the most terrifying thing Marco has ever gone through. She's never seen Marco suffer this much. He was legitimately scared that he was going to do something he could never take back, not out of clear and well-thought out intention, but from lack of emotional control and rational thinking. She took her hand and caressed his cheek.

"Everything's gonna be okay, Marco." Star told him. Marco looked away before Star took his face and turned it back so he could focus on her. "I promise." Star added.

"How can you be sure?" Marco asked, feeling so much self-doubt that it was terrifying him.

...

"...because it's our destiny." Star told him with a smile.

Star leaned in and kissed him. Marco's eyes slowly closed. Star's cheekmarks began to glow along with his. The energy ball in his hands slowly vanished. Marco started to relax. He returned the kiss, giving into it. He could feel his mind calm and his anger fade away. They parted slowly before Marco slowly passed out, detransforming out of his current form. The moons' red shades diminished, returning the sky to its normal darker color. Star caught Marco in her arms, flying down as she carried him with her. Star sat on the street, having him lay on her lap. She gazed at Marco as she stroked his cheek. His cheekmarks then disappeared from his face. Star watched as they faded away. Her family and friends all ran and flew over to her.

"Is he okay?" Tom asked.

"Yeah. Um...I think so." Star told them as she looked at her one true love, stroking his hair. River came over, dragging Astroida by the arm.

"So, what should be done with this maniac?" River asked in anger. Astroida was too worn out to even say anything. Star turned to look at her mother.

"Watch him for me?" Star asked her mother. Moon nodded her head before Star gazed at a knocked-out Marco, kissing his forehead before gently resting him on the ground. Star walked over to River and Astroida.

"You can't dictate...what I can and cannot do. I...have rights." Astroida said weakly.

"Well, she can't go back to Skywynne's time. That would mess up everything in the future." Star said.

"I say we lock her up." Janna spoke.

"We should erase her mind." Eclipsa said.

"No! I'm not using a _mind eraser_ on my sister!" Skywynne said as she pointed at Astroida, not realizing that saying those two words and pointing at her summoned a spell. A blue flash suddenly hit Astroida. She went stiff before passing out. Skywynne went over to her and dropped to her knees, trying to waking her up.

"Astroida? Astroida!" Skywynne shouted, trying to get her back. Astroida's eyes slowly opened. She looked at Skywynne.

"Oh...hello. Um...where...who are..." Astroida spoke. Her memory's been erased.

"I didn't just-..." Skywynne started.

"I'm afraid you um...sort of erased her memory." Eclipsa told her. Skywynne let out a sigh, feeling stupid for doing that to her own sister. She became angry with herself.

"Wait, Skywynne! Think about it! This could be the chance to start over; to give Astroida the life she wants! She wants to feel like she matters. This is her chance!" Star told her. Skywynne's eyes lit up.

"Excuse me?" Astroida spoke. Skywynne turned her head to her. "Could you tell me...who I am? I can't remember my name." Skywynne smiled.

"Your name...is Astroida; one of the most remarkable women in the entire universe." Skywynne told her.

"Ah...that's nice." Astroida sighed. Star felt happy for Astroida. Skywynne had her sister back. Although it wasn't the way Skywynne intended for it to happen, she still had her back. That's what mattered. Skywynne took her sister and hugged her tightly. She glanced at Star.

"Take care of her for me?" Skywynne asked.

"You can count on us." Star told her. Star suddenly heard a familiar groan.

"...hmm.." Marco sounded. His eyes opened. "...Star? Star! Where's Star?!" He shot up in a panic. Star ran over to him immediately.

"I'm here, Marco! I'm right here! Calm down!" Star told him. Marco smiled and shed a tear before wrapping his arms around Star, pulling her tightly into an embrace. Star gladly returned the hug. They stayed like that for a few seconds before Marco suddenly pulled back.

"Wait! I was...I was..." Marco started flapping his hands as if they were wings. "And...and I was doing...you know...the-!" Marco added as he took his hands and made funny noises, pretending like he was performing magic.

"Yeah. You were." Star chuckled.

"No, no, Star. You don't get it. That's impossible!" Marco told her.

"Uhhh...I don't get it...unless I forgot something because I tend to do that." Star spoke.

"Maybe I can explain." Glossaryk spoke from behind the group, back with his arms and legs again.

"AH!" Everyone yelped.

"Every time!" Marco exclaimed.

"Do you remember what I told you about magical regeneration?" Glossaryk asked. "You cannot undergo magical regeneration unless..." Glossaryk started. He waited for an answer. "...you're supposed to finish the sentence."

"Unless the person dips down..." Star spoke. "And is..." Star froze. "And...is..." Star realized what Marco was getting at. "Woooooooah wait! But that's impossible!"

"I just said that!" Marco replied. "Wait. So I dipped down?" He asked.

"You must have dipped down when you and Star combined Earth and Mewni!" Janna spoke.

"Ooooooooohhh...but that doesn't explain how I'm-!" Marco added, freaking out a bit.

"How can you be-! Star started.

"Can someone please explain what's going on?!" Tom asked, absolutely lost.

"In order to go through magical regeneration, yes, you have to have dipped down but...you also have to have...royal mewman DNA." Eclipsa spoke.

"So wait, Marco's a royal mewman?" Janna asked.

"But that's impossible!" Tom yelled. Marco facepalmed.

"Didn't I just say that?!" Marco spoke.

"Hold on. Does that mean that you...and Star...are-..." Tom asked, pointing to the two of them. Star and Marco looked at eachother wide-eyed. They backed away from one another immediately.

"Oh, please. No." Star and Marco said together.

"Well..." Ms. Lily appeared, walking up to them. "I have a DNA testing kit in one of the FBI vans. Would you like to figure that out?" She asked. Star and Marco were still bug-eyed.

"YES." They both spoke in panic.

* * *

Star, Marco, and Skywynne waited outside the van where Ms. Lily was completing the DNA test. Star and Marco couldn't have felt more awkward about this. What if they were related in some way? The thought of it was killing them inside. They were both hoping that it wasn't the case. It would ruin everything they had as a couple. They suddenly heard the door open. Ms. Lily stepped outside with pieces of paper in her hands.

"So? Tell us!" Star said eagerly, although she was scared to know the results.

"Well, I have some good news and...well not exactly bad news but.. _strange_ news." Ms. Lily told them. "What would you like to hear first?" She asked. The three of them looked at one another before turning back to Ms. Lily.

"Good news." The three of them said.

"Oh. Um...well, the good news is that you and Star are not related in any way whatsoever." Ms. Lily said with a smile to Star and Marco.

"Yes!" They both exclaimed before Star kissed his cheek. "Mwa!" She sounded.

"Do you realize how many times you've kissed me today?" Marco asked.

"I can't help it! I almost lost you to a stupid void dimension!" Star told him as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"So...what's the _strange_ news?" Skywynne asked.

"Well, I also asked for your DNA, Skywynne, because I wondered if there was a possibility of Marco being related to you, since you and Star aren't and...this might not make any sense but...Marco? You aren't related to Skywynne either." Ms. Lily told Marco.

"Wait...what?" Star spoke as she lifted her head.

"I'm sorry but that makes absolutely no sense." Skywynne spoke. Marco thought to himself for a second.

"Wait..." Marco said.

"What?" Star asked.

"Astroida talked about secrets. You don't think they have anything to do with me...do they?" Marco asked. Star and Marco looked at one another with great concern.

"Oh! By the way, a woman gave this to me. I'm not sure what it is but she said you would need it." Ms. Lily said to Skywynne, holding a piece of paper. Skywynne took the note in her hand and opened it, reading what was inside.

"It's...a time travel spell!" Skywynne said.

"What?" Star asked in shock.

"But how can I be sure this would work?" Skywynne said. Star and Marco looked at the note, noticing something written on the corner.

"Uh...I would trust it." Marco told her.

"Why do you say that?" Skywynne asked. Marco pointed to the corner, seeing two written words inscribed.

_From: Future You_

Skywynne gasped.

"...I'm going home...I'm going home!" Skywynne exclaimed with joy.

"Well, I should be going. There's a lot of clean-up around here that I need to help with." Ms. Lily told the three. "It was a pleasure working with you. Maybe someday we'll work together again." She said to them with a wink.

"Thanks for helping us." Marco told her. Star suddenly felt compelled to ask something.

"Oh uh...Ms. Lily?" Star called. Ms. Lily turned her head. "I know this is a _really_ weird question to ask but...we were talking to one of the soldiers earlier and apparently there isn't anything about you on file. Why is that?" Star asked her. Ms. Lily looked to her side.

"I'll just respond to that with...you can trust me. Alright?" Ms. Lily said with a smile before walking away. Star, Marco, and Skywynne looked at her with raised eyebrows.

Ms. Lily walked into another FBI truck, revealing a soldier in professional uniform at a table with a desk lamp shining down on it.

"So...did you get the pieces?" Ms. Lily asked.

"Yes, mam. All the pieces of the scissors have been collected as you requested." The man said. "...permission to speak freely, mam?"

"Permission granted." She replied.

"What is this even for, if you don't mind me asking?" The soldier asked.

"I'm afraid..." Ms. Lily picked up one of the pieces, observing it closely. "...that's classified." She told him.

* * *

Marco, Star, Tom, Janna, Moon, Eclipsa, Ponyhead and Skywynne were standing on one of the cliffs of Earthni, looking out at Echo Creek. After a long battle like they've had, they deserved to take a deep breath of fresh air. It was also, sadly, time for Skywynne to travel back to her time, where she would rule her kingdom with a more open mindset.

"So you'll take care of my sister? I worry about her. I don't exactly want her to go back to how she was before." Skywynne spoke.

"Don't worry. She's in good hands here." Moon told her.

"Good...great. Thank you." Skywynne replied before turning around, about to do the time travel spell; the one that actually worked. However, she hesitated.

"You okay?" Star asked Skywynne, noticing she was uneasy. Skywynne shook her arms a little as she held her wand tightly. She turned to her friends.

"I have so many questions about my future; a future that you all know about. I can't help but wonder what kind of queen I make myself to be; if I make a positive impact on Mewni as ruler. Is it wrong to...um..." Skywynne wondered.

"I think that some things are best kept untold for the sake of future events." Moon said.

"Yeah. Besides, it's more fun to be surprised, right?" Star chuckled. Skywynne let out a small giggle.

"You make a good point." Skywynne replied.

"One thing I would recommend is not putting the gravity deletion spell or time travel spell in the book...you know...to prevent any crazies from getting to it." Marco told her. They weren't in the book to begin it so he thought it would be safe to tell her that.

"Agreed. Besides, the last thing I wrote in the magic book of spells is a spell to repeat time. There's many spells that I still need to write down but I'll make sure those two don't get inscribed into it." Skywynne said. "In fact..." She reached into her dress pocket and took out a note. "You two might as well take this." Skywynne told Star and Marco as she handed it to them. Star and Marco looked at what was written on the note.

"The time travel spell?" Star spoke. "But...don't you need this?"

"I'll remember it. Besides, you might need it someday. I trust you both with it." Skywynne replied as she winked at them. "Anyway, thank you for helping me get back home." Skywynne looked at everyone in the group. "Thank you...all of you." Skywynne finished before getting pummeled by a crying Ponyhead.

"GIRL I'M GOING TO MISS YOU LIKE...SO MUCH!" Ponyhead sobbed.

"You do realize I can come back and visit, don't you?" Skywynne told her. Ponyhead immediately stopped crying.

"Oh...WELL WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT BEFORE?! I need to redo my makeup now!" Ponyhead yelled before flying away. She quickly made her way back for one second. "Love you girl call me text me or...you know...whatever." Ponyhead added. She then flied away again. Moon and Eclipsa walked up to Skywynne to say goodbye.

"Take care of yourself." Moon told her as she put a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you." Skywynne replied. She then looked at Eclipsa, who seemed troubled. "Eclipsa? It's alright." Skywynne told her.

"I know. It's just...there's something I've been meaning to tell you that I've wanted to say since the first day you saw me." Eclipsa told her.

"Oh. Well, what is it?" Skywynne asked before noticing Eclipsa's expression. This expression spoke to her, almost as if...there was some sort of connection. She took a good look at Eclipsa's face, seeing something...familiar about it. Her eyes looked...similar to hers. So did her smile. Skywynne gasped. Eclipsa didn't have to say a word. Skywynne knew.

"...are you...my..." Skywynne spoke. Eclipsa started to tear up a bit. At last she knew.

Eclipsa was Skywynne's granddaughter.

Skywynne took Eclipsa in a tight loving hug. Eclipsa gasped very slightly at the sudden embrace.

"Now I know I've done something right in the future." Skywynne told her. Eclipsa's face lit up. She started to tear up, returning the embrace. Star turned to look at Marco, who was tearing up.

"Are...are you crying?" Star asked.

"I'm a sympathetic cryer, okay?" Marco told her. Skywynne and Eclipsa let go, smiling at eachother. Skywynne took a hand and brushed a tear from Eclipsa's cheek before turning to Tom, Janna, Star, and Marco once more. Skywynne opened her arms up wide.

"Hugs?" Skywynne asked. The four of them came close to Skywynne as they all embraced in a nice group hug. Ponyhead jumped in for the hug.

"Yo! You can't leave me hanging!" Ponyhead stated. Moon and Eclipsa smiled, seeing their friends and family so happy. Skywynne let go of her friends and turned around, getting her wand ready. She turned her head slightly to look at them.

"Well, wish me luck." Skywynne said.

"You got this, Skywynne." Star told her. Skywynne turned her head back forward and let out a breath, remembering the spell she read on the note. Skywynne started thinking of the time she wanted to travel back to in her mind. She kept her thoughts set on it.

"...generation navigation!" She proclaimed. A beam came from Skywynne's wand, creating a square portal; a doorway to a different era. Skywynne was shocked at how well it worked. "To think it was that simple." Skywynne chuckled. She went towards the portal before stopping in her tracks, turning her head.

"Well...cheers to the future." Skywynne told them. Everyone waved as Skywynne walked through the portal, back home where she belonged. The portal, then, disappeared, leaving the group staring at an empty space.

"You know, I just realized something." Janna said.

"What?" Tom asked.

"Summer's almost over." Janna told him.

"Ugh. Talk about future. School's gonna start up again. I don't want to deal with any more math." Star groaned, leaning her head back.

"Star? It's good for you to learn." Moon told her.

"Mom? I'm allowed to dislike it, you know." Star told her.

"Well, before any of that happens, I feel that this victory calls for a sort of celebration." Eclipsa spoke. "...Britta's Tacos to go?" She asked.

"Right ahead of you!" Tom ran ahead, tripping as he went down the cliff. He gave a thumbs up. "I'm good!" He called.

"Here I come." Janna said, rolling her eyes with a smile as everyone else followed. Marco stopped, noticing Star wasn't beside her.

"Star?" Marco called. He turned his head, seeing Star staring off into the distance as the sun continued to rise behind the city. Marco came next to Star.

"Hey..." Marco spoke. "You doing okay?" Star took in another breath of fresh air.

"Yeah." Star said. Marco raised an eyebrow.

"If it's about those 'secrets' Astroida was talking about and my new magic abilities, like you said, we'll figure that out." Marco told her.

"I'm not worried about that. In fact..." Star took Marco's hand in hers. She turned her head to look at him, taking his hands and interlocking her fingers with his. "I'm doing better than I've ever been." Star told him. Marco smiled before they both leaned in for a kiss. They both sighed, feeling nothing but happiness and bliss. They slowly pulled apart after a bit, keeping their faces close.

"We ought to get back to the others." Marco told her.

"Yeah. You're probably right." Star said.

"Funny. I feel like we've had this exact conversation." Marco said before he and Star chuckled. They both let go of each other's hands.

"Well, the nachos aren't going to eat themselves!" She said before pulling him by the arm.

Suddenly, Marco winced, grabbing his stomach. Star let go of his hand.

"Marco? What's wrong?" Star asked.

"Oh, it's nothing! I'm fine. I think I just had a bit of a punch in the gut when I was pushed into that portal." Marco chuckled. Star peered her eyes.

"...are you sure?" She asked, just to double-check.

"Star? I'm absolutely fine. Don't worry about me." Marco told her with a smile.

"Well, I trust you." Star said with a grin. "By the way...thank you...for sacrificing yourself for me."

"Hey, it's what any loyal boyfriend would do." Marco smiled.

"Yeah." She replied as they gazed at each other for a second. "Anyway, let's go!" Star said as she ran ahead, rolling down the hill in glee.

Before Marco started to follow, he lifted his shirt for a second.

Marco gasped.

He put it down immediately, wide-eyed.

"Come on, slowpoke!" Star said as she climbed up the hill a little more. "I want my sugar burritos!"

"I said it once and I will say it again. You know that's sacrilege, right?" Marco told her.

"So is you refusing to try it! But hey, I'm not complaining!" Star giggled. Marco laughed along with her as he walked up to her and put an arm around her.

"See, _this_ is why I love you." Marco told her.

"I love you too." Star said back as they leaned their heads against one another, hand in hand, walking down the cliff as the rising summer sun shined on them, making everything around them glow and sparkle. Evil was defeated. Earthni was safe. Star and Marco were together again.

Life couldn't have been any more magical than that.

**UNTIL THE NEXT ADVENTURE!**


	38. Epilogue

To my readers,

Well, here we are. I never thought I would get to this point; the end of a story that has brought us on a journey for more than a year. I never even considered in my wildest dreams that this story would get to this point of admiration. I honestly thought it would not even get past 500 reads. But you guys definitely proved me wrong. I wrote this story not for myself, but for all of you. I saw how the Star Vs. fandom was saddened by the fact that the series was over and frankly, I was too. We were left at a point that was so open-ended that we our minds were screaming for answers. We were so badly yearning to see what adventures Earthni held for Star, Marco, and the rest of their friends and family. We were so curious to see how Star and Marco's relationship would grow and how much more their love could do to benefit their new home.

Star Vs. The Forces Of Evil is a show that's impacted me like not many other shows could ever do. Before I knew this show, I was one of the shyest people. I was always afraid to express myself and talk to anybody out of fear of being judged or ridiculed for the way I act. Anxiety took control, getting to the point where I was sometimes unable to function in daily life. In 2018, I found a show about a magical princess from another dimension fighting evil beside a nacho-loving safe-kid. I was a little late getting into the show but I fell in love with it immediately. I felt that I could really relate to the characters; Star's hyperactiveness and silliness, knowing Tang Soo Do just like Marco, and feeling the pressure of wanting to fit in and do what's right when times get really hard. Then, a year later, I started writing this story. I thought for the heck of it I would upload it online for everyone to read, not expecting that many views on it. Then again, that must have been my anxiety talking because this story put all of my fears in the dust.

I'm not afraid anymore. I'm not nervous to put myself out there. I've met a second family; dozens of people just like me who aren't ashamed to publicly convey their love cartoons as much as me. I finally feel that I belong somewhere. I haven't felt this much of an impact since Kim Possible. In all honesty, Star Vs. has transcended what I thought it could ever be capable of. If I never found this show, I wouldn't have improved as a person. All my life I've wanted to make an impact on the world. I'm hoping I have done that with this story, although I honestly feel that I could do much more. I'm hoping I've brought you all some smiles and laughs; some sunshine to brighten your day, as Star has said. It's the least I could do for you all giving me some sunshine in my own life.

The story isn't over yet. Later this year, I will be releasing a sequel story, diving deep into Marco and his newfound royal Mewman DNA as Star and Marco figure out where it could have possibly come from. We'll get more in depth of how monsters, mewmans, and humans will interact now that school is about to start and their summertime is coming to an end. We'll also witness Star and Marco uncover even more secrets that even go past Skywynne's reign as queen. I'm beyond excited to get started on the sequel and hope that all of you will stick around for it in the near future.

Thank you for changing my life for the better. Thank you for going on this magical adventure with me. Get ready because there is even more magic and excitement in store.

Love,

Sarah (KPRS4ever)


End file.
